Coincidentally, DH just added some quinoa to the last batch of pea soup he made. It was pretty good!

I think some brands of quinoa sold in the US are pre-rinsed. Eden brand (my favorite brand for staples) is not rinsed. It wouldn't be "tasteless" if it wasn't rinsed though, it would be very bitter.

I's not my favorite thing in general (too sweet IMO, with a flavor that doesn't really blend with a lot of things, unlike the sweetness of rice), but it's pretty good in bean salads; a vinaigrette dressing offsets the sweetness. In the pea soup, the flavor pretty much disappeared, and it just left a little bit of a crunch.