Regular white quinoa is my favorite--and the one most commonly found in the grocery store. It's light and fluffy and takes on the flavor of whatever you put on it--like the delicious dressings in this salad. However, you can use whatever kind of quinoa you can find -- black quinoa and tri color quinoa are also good options. Quinoa cooks really quickly and you can whip up a batch in the microwave in about 2-3 minutes! OR look for microwave packets for super easy cooking!