Recipe: $4.18 | Per Serving: $0.70 | Yield: 6
This gluten-free and dairy-free quinoa dish is creamy and delicious, with rich flavor from the coconut milk, and just the right amount of tang from the lime. Not sure if you like quinoa? I highly recommend giving this recipe a try and checking out these tips to make quinoa taste great!
Since living in Peru in 2013, quinoa has definitely been one of my go-to carb choices, and while I absolutely love their traditional garlic-butter quinoa and aji pepper quinoa soup (common in the Lake Titicaca area), I'm always down for experimenting.
How to Make Coconut Lime Quinoa:
On to the good part: How to make this delicious dish! I always rinse my quinoa at least twice in the cooking pot, and I strain in through a reusable produce bag since I don't have a fine mesh strainer. The dish itself is pretty straightforward.
I place the pot on the stove on high heat and let the remaining little bit of water cook off for about a minute before adding the coconut milk, lime zest, and sea salt. You can definitely cook this in up to 2 cups of coconut milk, depending on what consistency you prefer.
Once your quinoa is cooked, I like to let it rest with the lid on for 5 minutes before stirring in the lime juice and serving.
Cooking quinoa with coconut milk is a great way to add fat and flavor, especially if you avoid dairy. This particular combination with coconut and lime was a huge hit when my friend Nerdy Nutritionist and I made it for our school's nutrition expo a few years ago, and I've been making it ever since.
If you're looking for more tips and tricks for making quinoa, I've written a post that answers all your quinoa questions - how to cook it, how to make it taste good, and quinoa vs. brown rice!
What Coconut Milk Do You Recommend?
I don't get too picky about coconut milk, but I usually stock up on either Trader Joe's coconut milk or Thrive Market coconut milk (affiliate link for 25% off your first order!). Both are full-fat and free of any additives (no xantham gum!).
While some people are totally on board with regularly consuming gums, I try to avoid unnecessary additives whenever possible. I'll save my added gums for cashew milk ice cream!
More Quinoa Recipes:
- Quinoa Lasagna (an oldie but a damn goodie)
- Slow Cooker Quinoa Enchilada Casserole
- Cherry Balsamic Quinoa Salad
- Vegan Cilantro Quinoa Chickpea Salad
Vegetarian: Yep!
Paleo: Nope! But it is gluten-free. :)

Coconut Lime Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 ½ cups full-fat coconut milk about a 15 ounce can
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 lime juiced and zested
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa: measure one cup of quinoa into a large pot. Cover it with water and swirl it around with your hand. Using a fine mesh sieve, cheesecloth, or a nut milk bag, pour off the water. Repeat this twice or until the water runs clear. On the final drain, be sure to remove as much water as possible.
- Toast the quinoa: Put the pot on the stove over medium heat and cook off any remaining water, then cook the quinoa in the dry pot for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally as needed.
- Cook the quinoa: Add the coconut milk, salt, and zest from the lime, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook covered for approximately 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 more minutes. Remove lid, then fluff the quinoa and stir in the lime juice. Add additional salt as needed and serve!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition label is for 6 servings. (Please note: nutrition labels are estimates.)
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