The secret is good stock. Like good “flavoured water”. Well maybe good “vegetable/meat flavoured water”. This is the way to eat better and be a better cook. Well your friend will think so anyways. Really homemade stock is the way to shine in a dish that otherwise falls flat. I actually have to tell my mom, that I know why when she made one of my dishes it fell flat. I think that the stock wasn’t tasted, wasn’t concentrated enough and didn’t give the rich flavour we were looking for. This sucks but it makes perfect sense. This is a great example of how store bought stock can make a dish ok, but when you use home made, concentrated stock the dish is a revelation. Well for us low FODMAP people we need to make our own stock. I can’t say that other FODY stocks are bad, I just know from experience when I control the flavour I make an amazing dish. The secret is simple… and something not a lot of people do. Simply taste the stock, if it isn’t concentrated/tastey enough keep reducing the stock until you love it. If you don’t fall in love with it. Stop. freeze it in 1/2 cup cubes. Add it to the next stock with more/different vegetables (in 1/2 cup sizes). Never throw away stock just add it as an “accent” to the next version of stock you make…. this is the key to good eating. Make better stock.