The Popular Superfood That Pairs Perfectly With Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate is an indulgent dessert that has carved a noteworthy spot in the pantry of the most health-conscious foodies. Munched on even outside their cheat days, this comforting snack isn't just a snack for the soul, it also has its own fascinating way to boost your nutrition. For one, it's good for the heart — and, believe it or not, it can also ward off diabetes. While it's always enjoyable to eat dark chocolate on its own, especially if you love the bitter flavor, there's a fascinating way to enhance your way of eating it. And it only takes one super ingredient to help with that: quinoa.

Not only will it add a fluffy texture to the creamy dark chocolate, both their bitterness and overall flavor work well, too — the quinoa, with its earthy undertones, and the dark chocolate, with its slightly sweet notes. You can always go for a more intriguing route, like pairing dark chocolate with blue cheese, but nothing beats a fated match, which is loaded with nutrition.

A dark chocolate quinoa bowl is a protein-rich dish that will pump you up for the day. However, it works well for lunch and dinner, too. After all, we wouldn't bat an eye, even if you had a plate of buttermilk pancakes for dinner. Other ingredients include milk (oat, soy, or almond — whichever you prefer), sugar (white, brown, or any sweetener), and maple syrup. Unsweetened cocoa powder can be used, but you can always increase the sweetness by choosing a sweetened version. It's fascinatingly flexible — your bowl, your choice.

You'd want to start by preparing quinoa and rinsing it first to lessen the bitterness, while you warm up the pan. Once that's out of the way, you can toss quinoa right into the pan and toast it until it's fully dried. That's when you'd want to add milk — and a dash of sea salt if you prefer. Like how you'd usually cook quinoa in hot water, you'll want to simmer it to soak up the liquid. All you need now is to transfer it to a bowl and mix it with the rest of the ingredients (sweetener and cocoa powder). Don't forget to put in your desired dark chocolate for the final touch, though. It might not taste the way you like it at first, so feel free to add more flavoring. You can even customize it further by adding some almonds, chia seeds, dried fruits, or granola.