Inferior though it may be to homemade stock, the truth is that we depend on store-bought broth to help us with a lot of our quick weeknight dinners. Here are a few easy ways to amp up the flavor in those cans to give us some truly tasty meals.

If you have time, let the broth simmer on its own with some of the add-ins below for at least fifteen minutes before using it. We often do this while we’re prepping the rest of the ingredients for the dish. If you don’t have time, you can add the flavoring ingredients directly to the soup or braise that you’re making and then remove them before serving.

• Bay Leaf
• 1-2 garlic cloves, slightly crushed
• 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
• Splash of white wine
• handful of parsley stems
• 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1-2 whole star anise (if you like a licorice flavor)
• the rind from a hard cheese like parmesan or pecorino romano
• 1 tablespoon miso paste
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
• 1 carrot, roughly chopped

You can use all or just a few of these add-ins. Really, whatever you have on-hand in your pantry. Even just a bay leaf will improve the flavor of the broth enormously.

Do you have any other tricks for improving the flavor of store-bought broth?

Related: 5 (or More) Ways to Doctor Canned Tomato Sauce

(Image: Flickr member stevendepolo licensed under Creative Commons)