It’s not difficult at all to make your own delicious guacamole. Start with a few mashed, ripe avocados and pile on your texture and flavor enhancers like garlic, chopped jalapeños, and red onion with a bit of acid, and you’ve got a dip that everyone will love—especially when piled on a tortilla chip or served in a burrito bowl. But if you’re short on time or don’t want to fill your shopping list with individual guacamole ingredients, you can always buy a container of store-bought guacamole instead.

While this alternative is quite convenient, store-bought guacamole often lacks the bold flavor you crave. The easiest way to take this mass-produced dip to the next level is to add your own herbal twist to it. The obvious choice for herbs is certainly chopped cilantro; some store-bought guacamole already has it on the ingredients list. But finely slicing some of your own sprigs will bring out that flavor even more.

If you want to try something a little more unconventional, snip a few basil or mint leaves from your garden and chop them up for your guacamole. While these herbs aren’t classic southwestern flavors, they’ll add the fresh, spicy, and tangy notes your store-bought guacamole lacks.

It’s always worth buying store-bought guacamole, especially if you want to focus more on other aspects of your southwestern-inspired dinner than the chips and dip appetizer. But it’s also worth making a few upgrades. You can easily add more flavor to store-bought guacamole by sweetening it with some fruit; pomegranate seeds and diced mango provide a stunning color contrast to the green of the avocado, and also add a unique sweetness.

Another way to add some extra flavor to your guacamole is to dig into your spice cabinet. Simple additions like a pinch of cayenne pepper, ancho chili powder, cumin, or coriander can add depth to your guacamole without much effort. Just make sure to stir well so all the spices are well distributed throughout the guacamole. If you don’t have fresh herbs on hand to flavor your guacamole from the grocery store, you can also use dried herbs. Just be aware that the mouthfeel and flavor will be different than coarsely chopped leaves fresh from the garden.