7 Popular Peruvian Quinoa Recipes (That Are Fantastic)

Looking for some great Peruvian recipes? Peruvian food is VERY popular and there’s a good reason for that. Peruvian cuisine is SO DELICIOUS! Check out some of these popular Peruvian quinoa recipes below to see what I mean.

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What Is Quinoa?

Quinoa is a South American grain that is considered one of the world’s healthiest foods.

Have you heard of the term superfood? Well, quinoa is considered one of the world’s superfoods because of its high nutritional value.

Peruvian cuisine consists of a lot of quinoa. The reason for this is that Peru, as well as Bolivia, is where the majority of quinoa is produced in the world. In other words, quinoa is in abundance there!

And that’s a good thing! Not only because of its nutritional value but also because you can make some AMAZING traditional Peruvian quinoa recipes (and non-traditional recipes, too).

Similar to rice, quinoa does a great job of soaking up the sauces from any delicious Peruvian dish that involves some kind of sauce.

Take a look at some of the great Peruvian quinoa recipe ideas I have for you below.

Quinoa Chaufa

The first of the Peruvian quinoa recipes that I have for you is called quinoa chaufa. Chaufa, in Peruvian Spanish, is fried rice.

So, you can probably assume that quinoa chaufa is actually fried quinoa that’s made to resemble traditional fried rice.

These are some of the ingredients you’ll find in this traditional Peruvian food:

Quinoa
Eggs
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
Peppers

You’ll make quinoa chaufa similar to how you would make fried rice.

First, chop the vegetables you want to use. Second, add beaten eggs to the vegetables. Third, add the cooked quinoa. Fourth, add the soy sauce and sesame oil. Fifth, stir everything together and cook a little while longer. Sixth; serve, eat, and enjoy!

Take a look at this EXCELLENT video by YouTuber Cravings Journal to see how to make this easy Peruvian quinoa recipe.

FYI, this is the link to the recipe on her blog.

Authentic Peruvian Quinoa Salad

Since quinoa is considered a superfood, as mentioned earlier, maybe you want to make something super extra healthy with it.

Well, then why not try making an authentic Peruvian quinoa salad?

It’ll give you a lot of the super nutrients you need to make you healthy. PLUS, you’ll be consuming a lof of fiber, which is good for your gut.

In fact, according to an article by Medical news Today, the more fiber you eat, the less chance you’ll have of dying from a cardiovascular event.

Anyway, back to Peruvian quinoa salads.

Lucky for us, they are SO incredibly easy to make!

All you have to do is cook your quinoa and then add whatever salad toppings you want! Lots of Peruvians enjoy eating their quinoa salads with queso fresco (a kind of cheese that’s very popular in Latin America), limes, tomatoes, and cilantro.

Take a look at this Peruvian quinoa salad recipe by Eat Peru to learn more!

Quinoa Soup

There are many reasons why people eat soup (besides it tasting so good).

Sometimes people eat soup to warm themselves up if it’s cold outside. Other times people eat soup because their stomachs can’t handle solid foods. And there are times people eat soup simply because they like it.

Whatever the reason, you’ll be happy to know about the very healthy Peruvian quinoa soup.

Lots of Peruvians make quinoa soup by first chopping their vegetables. These vegetables normally include potatoes, carrots, and perhaps some ginger.

They’ll add these ingredients, as well as cooked quinoa, to their vegetable stock and cook it on the stove.

If you’re interested in a Peruvian quinoa soup recipe, I HIGHLY recommend you check out this one by YouTuber CooKing_Ricardo.

(FYI, be sure to listen to his speel about some of the different types of quinoa in Peru and which ones are best for which kinds of dishes. SUPER interesting).

These are the ingredients you’ll need for this Peruvian soup recipe:

Onion
Leek
Garlic
White quinoa
Vegetable stock
Coriander
Cumin
Oregano
Carrot
Squash
Fava beans
Potato

Anyway, here is the video for quinoa soup:

How to Make Peruvian Empanadas

How to Make Peruvian Papas Rellenas (Stuffed Potatoes)

How to Make Peruvian Green Spaghetti Pasta

Peruvian Aji Amarillo Recipes

Quinoa Atamalada

If you’re ever been to Peru, you’ve probably heard of the quinoa atamalada.

It actually may be one of the more popular traditional Peruvian quinoa recipes.

You can choose to either eat it hot or cool.

If you decide to eat it cool, this quinoa dish resembles a typical Latin American tamale with a firmer texture.

If you decide to eat it hot, it’s like a Peruvian quinoa stew.

Here, take a look at the video below by Tastemade to find out why.

In case you didn’t catch it in the video above, here are the ingredients you’ll need for this particular recipe:

Quinoa
Yellow onion
Garlic cloves
Green onions
Canola oil
Black pepper
Aji amarillo paste (some people like to add aji panca paste, too)
Cumin
Chicken broth
Whole milk
Queso fresco

Also, FYI, you can serve this dish on top of yellow potatoes. Yummy!

Quinoa a la Huancaína

Have you heard of the Peruvian papa a la Huancaína?

It’s a SUPER popular Peruvian dish consisting of a hot pepper sauce, called huancaina sauce, made from aji amarillo (or aji amarillo paste) that’s poured on top of yellow potatoes.

(If you haven’t already noticed, aji amarillo is a VERY important staple in MANY Peruvian dishes).

Well, this quinoa a la huancaina recipe is very similar, except you add and blend cooked quinoa into the sauce.

FYI, these are the typical ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:

Aji amarillo (Peruvian yellow chili peppers)
Queso fresco
Evaporated milk
Saltine crackers
Cooked quinoa
Onion
Chicken bouillon
Garlic powder
Hard-boiled eggs
Peruvian black olives
Cooked potatoes

Please, take a look at the video below by Pekas Creaciones to get a better understanding of what is quinoa a la huancaina:

(Even though it’s in Spanish, the visuals are pretty good).

(Also, if you’re interested in learning more about papas a la huanaina, please check it out on my post about aji amarillo recipes).

Quinoa Pudding (Quinoa con leche)

Have you ever had Arroz con Leche? It’s a very common rice pudding recipe that’s popular all over Latin America.

It’s SUPER sweet, SUPER delicious, and SUPER easy to make, too. You may be surprised to find out you may have all of the ingredients you need in your pantry and refrigerator right now!

Anyway, quinoa pudding is similar to rice pudding, except you use quinoa instead of rice.

The typical ingredients you’ll need for this Latin American dessert include the following:

Quinoa
Cinnamon
Water
Milk
Sugar
Vanilla essence
Ground cinnamon

If you’re looking for a great quinoa pudding recipe, I recommend you check out this one by Peru Delights.

Chupe de Quinoa

Chupe de quinoa is a Peruvian quinoa and corn chowder.

This cream soup provides many nutrients to the body and it’s so soothing and comforting to eat on a cold day.

Some of the main ingredients you’ll need for this traditional Peruvian quinoa recipe include the following:

Quinoa
Corn
Onion
Garlic
Ají panca (Peruvian red chili pepper) ají amarillo (Peruvian yellow chili pepper)
Yellow potato
Beans
Chicken stock
Milk

If you’re interested in making this recipe, I recommend you try this one by Food52.

What to Serve With Peruvian Quinoa Recipes

Yuca frita
Pollo a la brasa
Lomo saltado
Chicha morada (drink made from dried purple corn)

Peruvian Quinoa Recipes FAQ

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions related to Peruvian quinoa recipes.

How is quinoa eaten in Peru?

In Peru, many people enjoy eating quinoa as a side dish or included in a main dish or dessert. For example, Peruvians use quinoa to make the following foods:

Quinoa atamalada
Peruvian quinoa salad
Quinoa chaufa
Soup
Pudding
Quinoa a la Huancaína

How is quinoa prepared in Peru?

The most common way to prepare quinoa even in Peru is to boil it and use it as a side dish or main meal. Some popular Peruvian dishes that include quinoa are quinoa atamalada, quinoa soup, quinoa chaufa, quinoa salad, quinoa pudding, and quinoa a la huancaina.

Do they eat quinoa in Peru?

Yes! A lot of Peruvians eat quinoa. In fact, quinoa is actually grown in the Andes mountains of Peru as well as Bolivia.

Final Thoughts On Peruvian Quinoa Recipes

And that’s a wrap! I hope you seriously consider making at least one of these amazing popular quinoa recipes from Peru. Did any of them stand out to you? Which ones? If so, please let me know in the comments below!