How to Make a Tomato Sandwich: a step-by-step tutorial on making summer’s favorite sandwich. Perfectly ripe tomatoes, sliced, salted and placed in between lusicious bread smothered with mayonnaise. 
A few ex-boyfriends ago, I learned an incredibly valuable less: how to properly make a tomato sandwich. I am forever grateful.
During the summers we’d drive to Virginia to his family’s lake house. It was there where I’d buy big-ass tomatoes from old men who sold them out of their pick-up trucks parked alongside the road. They were beautiful and warm from the sun (the tomatoes not the old men). There’s something about a southern tomato that’s just really special. They’re kinda magical.
How to Make a Tomato Sandwich
- The first step to a glorious tomato sandwich is slicing the tomatoes. I prefer them to be about 1/4-inch thick. You don’t want too thin or too thick.
- Place the tomatoes on a few sheets of paper towels.
- Sprinkle them with a bit of kosher salt. Both sides. Salting the tomatoes, allows them to sit and drain. This makes it so the tomato sandwich doesn’t end up being soggy. NO SOG ZONE.
- Smother two slices of white bread with good-quality mayonnaise. This means Duke’s, Hellmann’s or Best Foods.
- Arrange the tomatoes on the slices of bread, add the other slice of bread and slice it up!
And then you eat it.
Is this a recipe, per se? Not really. It’s about instincts and common sense lol. Of course, if you want to make it even more exciting, some crunchy lettuce would be a delicious addition.
Thick slices of crispy bacon would make it into a BLT. And if you want to take it even further, a few slices of avocado would make it unreal!
Tomato sandwiches are the perfect super-quick-have-no-time-for-anything lunch. Summer is usually not my most favorite season. Between the heatwaves, bugs, incessant sugar/water ants, I much rather have fall or winter. But tomato sandwiches make summer a delight!
If you make this, let me know on Instagram!
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How-To Make a Tomato Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 heirloom tomatoes
- Pinch kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon good-quality mayonnaise (Duke's, Hellmann's, Best Foods)
- 1 loaf white bread
- Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Slice the tomatoes and arrange them on a few bed of paper towels. Sprinkle the tomatoes with a few pinches of salt and allow to sit and drain for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Meanwhile, smother the slices of bread with mayonnaise. Both sides!
- Place a few slices of tomatoes on the bread and sprinkle with a bit of black pepper. Top with another slice of bread and cut in half. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches.
Nutrition
Looking for more summertime recipes? Here are some favorites:
Are you insane? Tomato sandwiches are *supposed* to be juicy. Salting them to take the juice out beforehand is so…northern.
you know i’ve learned that life is so simple because of being *offended* you could simply JUST NOT MAKE IT THIS WAY. and move on with your life but instead you’re annoying.
I LOVE tomato sandwiches!!!! I’ve got to have the bread toasted, though. When I was a kid, we used to make a sandwich with lettuce, tomato, American cheese, mayo, salt and pepper on toasted bread. It was a BLT without bacon, I guess, but with cheese. We called them “those sandwiches”. Not sure why, but it stuck! SO SO GOOD!!!!!!!
try toasting the bread a little! it adds to the sandwich by giving a little crunch to go along with the soft, yummy tomatoes 🙂
Yes. There’s not much else that is as perfect as a good tomato sandwich. And it definitely has to be on white bread, it’s basically what white bread was invented for.
That doesn’t look like a Duke’s jar! Otherwise, looks perfectly delectable. Thanks 🙂
Adrianna, they way you have such a conversational tone in your recipe posts makes your blog so approachable…and comforting. Like a long time friend! Just wanted to say that, and I enjoyed reading this one, thanks =)
“the tomatoes not the old men.” LOL
This is great! Love the no SOG zone tip!
Mayo is a must for tomato sandwiches. Your tomatoes are gorgeous! I just have to have my tomato sandwich on toast. It is the way I grew up eating them.
Yuuuum. I always do tomato and english cucumber on dill rye. Mayo on both sides of the bread, sea salt and pepper on top. So good.
In case anyone’s interested, the Aussie way uses tomato sauce (ketchup) instead of mayo. And maybe a tiny bit of Vegemite 😉
Oooo…interesting! Thank you for sharing that. Love learning stuff like this.