The Unexpected Ingredients That Make Literally Everything Better

Why it's good: Soy sauce is an extremely versatile ingredient. Sometimes when a dish is almost there but it's low on salt, I toss in a few dabs of soy sauce before I reach for the shaker. It adds a depth of flavor that plain salt can't achieve on its own, and as long as you don't overdo it, the soy quality mellows and fades nicely into the background, so you don't have to worry about totally upending the dish's primary flavors altogether.

Use it in: Tomato sauces, chilis, tomato-based stews, marinades, gravies.