Y’all nothing hits during the summer like a Tomato Sandwich. And this one is the very best boos. This heirloom tomato sandwich recipe with smoky bacon is the best way to get into summer vibes, and don’t even think about skipping the lemony-garlic aioli because it hits so hard! Pull this recipe together in minutes and enjoy the best of what summer has to give ya.
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If you are from the South, you know a good tomato sandwich when you taste one. It’s the simplicity and darn great tomatoes that make all the difference. During the summer, you won’t taste anything better. This tomato sandwich recipe can be pared down to bare bones (mayo, bread and tomatoes) or dressed up to the nines (bacon, etc.). The choice is yours! Do you boo.
What is a Tomato Sandwich?
In its truest form, a tomato sandwich is tomato slapped between two slices of bread. Period. It’s considered a staple in the South because fresh ripe tomatoes are prime during the summer. It’s also a super affordable way to enjoy the summer delicacies. The classic recipe usually includes a spread of mayo giving a bit of creamy texture to the juicy sandwich.
This recipe uses heirloom tomatoes which are a jewel in summer produce. They are a variety of tomatoes whose seeds have been handed down to farmers from generation to generation selected from each year’s harvest.
The Lowdown on this Tomato Sandwich Recipe
- Cuisine Inspiration: Southern Summertime Classic with a Gourmet Remix
- Primary Cooking Method: Just assembling
- Dietary Info: Can be made Vegan or Gluten-Free with a few substitutions
- Key Flavor: Fresh, Juicy, Smoky, Tangy, and Garlicky
- Skill Level: Easy as easy can be boos!
Ingredients Needed to Make this Heirloom Tomato Sandwich Recipe
- Heirloom Tomatoes: Slices of juicy heirloom tomatoes are the foundation for this sandwich. Make sure you pick ones with skin that is shiny, with no bruises or splits. They should have a bit of firmness when you squeeze.
- Mayonnaise: This gives our lemon garlic aioli its creamy and rich base. I’m a big fan of Duke’s or Hellman’s Mayo.
- Lemon Juice: This brightens up that aioli with a little citrus and acidity.
- Garlic: Just one clove will add that fantastic aromatic savory flavor. Grate it up to get a bit in each bite.
- Black Pepper: Freshly cracked hits best and adds a touch of heat.
- Sourdough: This is my bread of choice here because it feels super rustic and hearty and has a slightly sour taste that balances out that tomato sweetness.
- Bacon: Nothing adds smoky, crunchy, peppery goodness like bacon y’all.
- Lettuce: This adds a fresh, crunchy bite to this tomato sandwich!
How to Make a Tomato Sandwich
Step 1: Get to Prepping
- Get your bacon ready. I personally bake mine to get it super crisp. Preheat your oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add your slices of bacon and bake for 15-20 minutes until super crispy and golden. It can take longer based on how thick your bacon is.
- Make your Aioli. In a small bowl, mix up the mayo, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, some black pepper and minced garlic.
- Toast the Bread and Spread: Toast up your sourdough bread and spread on the aioli.
Step 2: Layer it Up
- Season your heirloom tomatoes with salt and pepper then add to the aioli spread bread.
- Next add your bacon and lettuce then finally close up that sandwich, cut it up and serve it up.
How to Serve this Heirloom Tomato Sandwich
- Salad: Nothing is better than a sandwich and a salad combo y’all. Serve it up with this shrimp caesar salad, harvest fall salad, cornbread salad, potato salad or this cobb salad with shrimp.
- Soup: Serve this tomato sandwich recipe with a hearty vegetarian tortilla soup, carrot ginger soup or even a creamy potato soup.
- Fries: I love this sandwich served up with these sweet potato fries or even a more indulgent loaded fries recipe.
- Tomato it up! Go all in on the tomato love while they are in season with a full spread including this tomato soup, tomato tart and tomato basil soup.
Recipe Substitutions
- Tomatoes: If heirlooms aren’t around, grab early girl, beefsteak, roma or even black krim tomatoes.
- Bread: No sourdough? French bread, whole grain or ciabatta are great options. Just select something hearty since the tomatoes are so juicy and can drench the bread a bit. We don’t want a soggy sandwich boos.
- Aioli: Swap out the mayo for sour cream or greek yogurt. You will get some additional tang for extra flavor. Replace lemon juice with lime or even orange juice if you have it lying around. And finally use some garlic powder in place of minced garlic if you don’t have a clove around.
Recipe Variations and Additions
- Gluten Free: Swap in your fave gluten free bread variety to make this perfect for any dietary restrictions.
- Vegan: Just make sure your bread is vegan friendly and also sub the mayo for a vegan mayonnaise brand as well. And of course, toss out the bacon boos.
- Caramelize those Tomatoes! Grill those tomatoes for that smoky flavor elevation especially during the summer when you are tossing other amazing items on the grill. Or caramelize them up by roasting them to release more flavors.
- Fried Green Tomatoes: Ever had a tomato sandwich with fried green tomatoes? If not, you are missing out. That crunch is undeniable! And if you want to lighten it up, use my air fried green tomatoes recipe.
- Spice it Up! Add a little hot sauce, sriracha or cayenne to that aioli for a nice kick y’all. Or better up, spread on some remoulade.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Get the Right Tomatoes: Go as ripe as you can find boos. If you see a bruised or mushy tomato, go in the opposite direction.
- Season those Tomatoes: Before you add those tomatoes to your sandwich, season em’ up! Salt and pepper are going to enhance the flavor and juiciness of those tomatoes.
- Toast the bread: One way you can keep the bread from getting too soggy from all the wet ingredients and juicy tomatoes is to toast up that bread. It dries it out a bit.
- Keep it simple: Don’t overdo this sandwich. It ain’t necessary. Keep the ingredients and flavors clean. Let the tomatoes do the talking.
- Cut with a Serrated Knife: This will help you cut through those thick tomatoes and bread without squashing and ruining your beauty of a sandwich.
How to Store
This sandwich is honestly best enjoyed as soon as you make it. And since it takes mere minutes to throw together, no need to store it up or make ahead y’all.
Also tomatoes are some juicy babies so they will weigh down a sandwich with moisture in a second. If you store any leftovers, that sandwich will be pretty soggy at the end of the day so I suggest not doing it. If you absolutely must store, store it in the fridge completely wrapped in foil or plastic wrap and eat it within a day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Heirlooms are grown seasonally rather than year-round, and their gorgeous appearance and wide range of shapes, colors, and sizes, make them quite unique. Heirloom tomatoes also have a much more robust and sweeter taste; they are generally in season from late Summer into early Fall, with local heirlooms popping up around late July.
Make sure you select tomatoes that have reached their full color. Give it a gentle squeeze. It should have a bit of firmness but not be rock hard. If its too mushy or soft, that’s a no no. If you notice a bunch of bruising or spots, you definitely want to avoid. Ripe tomatoes also feel a bit heavier too as opposed to unripe ones.
Tomatoes can make a sandwich pretty wet y’all. It’s because of all that juicy flavor. The aioli is going to help keep those tomatoes from wetting down that bread. Also toasting the bread is going to prevent the sogginess from developing too.
Honestly it’s best not to make ahead. If you want to save some time, just make the aioli and slice up the tomatoes ahead of time for quicker assembly.
More Sandwich Recipes
Love this recipe? Check out a few more of my FAVORITE savory bites below!
The BEST Tomato Sandwich
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Ingredients
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 garlic clove finely minced or grated
- 4 slices of sourdough or french bread can also use thick-cut white sandwich bread
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 large Heirloom tomatoes cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
- bacon and lettuce optional
Instructions
- Combine mayo, lemon juice, black pepper and garlic.
- Lightly toast the bread and spread on aioli.
- Layer on tomatoes (bacon and lettuce as well, if using) and close up the sandwich. Enjoy!
Notes
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- Get the Right Tomatoes: Go as ripe as you can find boos. If you see a bruised or mushy tomato, go in the opposite direction.
-
- Season those Tomatoes: Before you add those tomatoes to your sandwich, season em’ up! Salt and pepper are going to enhance the flavor and juiciness of those tomatoes.
-
- Toast the bread: One way you can keep the bread from getting too soggy from all the wet ingredients and juicy tomatoes is to toast up that bread. It dries it out a bit.
-
- Keep it simple: Don’t overdo this sandwich. It ain’t necessary. Keep the ingredients and flavors clean. Let the tomatoes do the talking.
-
- Cut with a Serrated Knife: This will help you cut through those thick tomatoes and bread without squashing and ruining your beauty of a sandwich.
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Adding sourdough bread to my tomato sandwich is definitely the way to go! I love this recipe so much!!
Such a wonderful sandwich !! I made them last week and am going to make them again tomorrow !! This is the first thing we ever tried with Heirloom tomatoes !! My hubby & I both loved this !! Thanks for the recipe !!
You’re so welcome, Laurie!! So glad you guys both enjoyed!
This was so easy and the aioli is so good. Slathered mustard on too as a variation. Packed up em up as bagelwiches, and everything held up well.
We’re garlic lovers so I tripled the garlic and added extra lemon juice to get a drippier consistency. The tartness brought out the natural sweetness of the tomatoes. I’m excited to put this aioli on everything!
yes, a great way to celebrate heirloom tomatoes in season, like the aioli too, thank you
This sandwich was the perfect addition for our lunch today! My husband and I really enjoyed this, and our fresh tomatoes from our garden! Definitely going on the remake list, so delicious and very yummy!
Tomato sandwich is the best sandwich on earth!!!
I could eat 2 of them 3 times a day!
I make a delicious tomato salad it’s very simple and oh my goodness it’s SO GOOD!
No recipe just lots of tomatoes, 3 times as many tomatoes as anything else.
Any kind of tomato works, mini cucumbers, avocado, olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
Simply cut all vegetables into bite sized pieces, put in large bowl, dress with olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!!!
Look at all those beautiful tomatoes! Making my mouth water over here with this sandwich!
Aren’t tomatoes beautiful, all of the beautiful colors, shapes and sizes. Red, yellow, pink, purple, brown oh my goodness!!!
You are speaking my language with this beautiful sandwich! I have tons of garden tomatoes this summer, so am trying to find new ways of using them. And that lemon-garlic aioli sounds amazing!
Such a gorgeous sandwich!! Definitely the perfect use for summer tomatoes. They sound absolutely amazing paired with that lemony-garlic aioli.
This really is the best tomato sandwich! Perfect for a summer day!
This looks so fantastic, especially the sauce. Now to get my hands on some heirloom tomatoes!