The classic Southern Tomato Sandwich is about as simple as it gets! A perfect no-cook, 5-minute summer meal.
The classic Southern Tomato Sandwich is about as simple as it gets! Don’t let the summer pass you by without indulging in this delicious lunch or easy dinner recipe. You only need 5 minutes, plus some white bread, mayonnaise, ripe tomatoes and fresh basil!
That’s right, I’m giving you permission to take the night off from cooking and serve a Tomato Sandwich for dinner! When the blazing heat of summer is beating down on us, turning on the oven or standing over the stove just doesn’t sound appealing. Instead, take advantage of the season’s most delicious fresh produce and whip up a tray of these easy tomato sandwiches for a light and tasty meal in minutes.
Is a Tomato Sandwich a Southern Thing?
While there are countless ways to prepare a tomato sandwich (from B.L.T.’s to Roasted Tomato Sandwiches and Indian Tomato Sandwiches), the simple white-bread-only tomato sandwich is definitely a Southern obsession. It’s so easy, in fact, that I’ve been making the sandwich for years — and never actually considered sharing the “recipe” here on the blog. There’s hardly a recipe at all! But you know what? On the off chance that you’ve never tried this amazingly basic combination, allow me to introduce you to the best that summer has to offer!
The Origin of the Tomato Sandwich
Perhaps it’s the South’s long hot summers that created the love affair with a tomato-and-mayonnaise sandwich. The simple recipe allows the ripest, juiciest southern tomatoes to shine in the easiest, quickest way possible. Pair it with another southern classic, Duke’s mayonnaise, and you’ve got a delicious concoction in a matter of minutes!
While no one knows exactly who invented this combination, one of the first references to the tomato sandwich was in the Virginia Chronicle in 1911, where a man describes his lunch as a tomato sandwich, a slice of watermelon, iced tea, and a slice of coconut cream pie. Sounds pretty darn good, right?! Thomas Jefferson was one of the first to bring tomatoes to Virginia when he planted the European seeds in his own garden in Charlottesville, so it’s not a surprise that the tomato sandwich quickly became a local favorite!
Tips for the Best Tomato Sandwich:
You only need about 5 minutes to prepare a delicious tomato sandwich, but there are a few important tips to keep in mind. Here’s what goes into a perfect tomato sandwich..
A Good Sandwich Tomato:
You’re only using a handful of basic ingredients, so it’s important to make sure that they’re the best quality — starting with the tomatoes. These sandwiches should only be enjoyed during the hot summer growing months, since the ripest, juiciest red tomato is essential to a good sandwich. Don’t even mess with those bland, mealy, pink tomatoes that you find at the grocery store in the middle of winter!
Specifically, look for large, meaty and juicy tomatoes when making sandwiches. Instead of Roma tomatoes or other small tomatoes, try Brandywine or Beefsteak varieties. Feeling fancy? Try an Heirloom Tomato Sandwich with the big, beautiful tomatoes that you can often find at a farmer’s market.
The Mayonnaise:
As I mentioned above, Duke’s mayonnaise is hands-down the best mayo for a sandwich. If you can’t buy Duke’s where you live, then Hellman’s is a good alternative. Don’t resort to something like Miracle Whip here.
The Bread:
Just a simple white sandwich bread is all you need! This isn’t the time to pick up a loaf of artisanal bread or whip out your sourdough starter. Instead, a simple packaged loaf of soft white bread or a couple of slices of our favorite homemade basic white bread is always the preference.
There’s no need to toast the bread first, although you can if you like.
The Seasoning:
Again, we’re keeping it really simple: salt, pepper and fresh basil. Basil’s another summertime crop that helps to highlight the natural flavor and sweetness of ripe tomatoes. They’re a match made in heaven, so don’t skip this ingredient! And while you could certainly just lay flat leaves of basil on your sandwich, I prefer snipping the basil leaves with kitchen shears and stirring them into the mayonnaise. That way the basil mayonnaise is spread evenly on both sides of the sandwich, and I don’t have to bite into a potent basil leaf.
How to Make a Tomato Sandwich:
Assembling this simple delight could not be easier. Here’s how I do it…
Step 1: Prepare the Basil Mayonnaise
Stir together snipped fresh basil leaves and mayonnaise in a small bowl.
Step 2: Assemble Sandwich
Spread each slice of bread with the basil mayonnaise, top with sliced tomatoes, season with salt and pepper.
Add the remaining slices of bread on top to make the sandwiches, slice and serve!
What to serve with a Southern Tomato Sandwich:
Serve a tomato sandwich for lunch with a side of potato chips and a pickle.
If you’d like to offer the sandwiches as a light dinner, try rounding out the meal with any of these additional sides:
- A simple green salad dressed in Buttermilk Dressing or Pepper Jelly Vinaigrette;
- Wedge Salad;
- Tomato Cucumber Onion Salad;
- Stovetop Mac and Cheese or Crock Pot Mac and Cheese;
- Scrambled eggs and bacon;
- Amish Green Beans with Brown Butter;
- Potato chips;
- Fried Okra;
- Coleslaw;
- A cup of soup, such as Southern Tomato Bisque, Crock Pot Vegetable Soup, Virginia Peanut Soup or Summer Vegetable Soup.
Are tomato sandwiches healthy?
White bread and mayonnaise might not be nutritional powerhouses, but at least you’ll reap numerous benefits from the fresh tomatoes. Tomatoes are the major dietary source of the antioxidant lycopene, which has been linked to many health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease and cancer. They are also a great source of vitamin C, potassium, folate, and vitamin K (source).
How many calories in a tomato sandwich?
This will vary depending on the type of bread used and the size of your tomatoes. On average, one sandwich will have about 245 calories, 14 grams of fat, 28 grams of carbs, and 5 grams of protein.
Cook’s Tips and Recipe Variations:
- These sandwiches are best served immediately. While you can certainly pack them in a picnic basket for the pool (I’ve done it many times!), the bread tends to get soggy from the tomatoes after too long.
- This recipe yields two sandwiches; however, you can easily scale the recipe up to make as many sandwiches as you need.
- Cucumber Tomato Sandwich: add thinly-sliced cucumber to the sandwich.
- Onion Tomato Sandwich: thinly sliced Vidalia onion or pickled red onion would be delicious additions.
- B.L.T.: Add slices of thick, crispy bacon and a few lettuce leaves to each sandwich.
- Pimento Cheese and Tomato Sandwich: spread a layer of pimento cheese on the sandwich for a rich, flavorful addition.
More tomato recipes that you might enjoy:
- Southern Tomato Pie
- Fried Green Tomatoes
- Tomato Cucumber Onion Salad
- B.L.T. Pasta Salad
- Fresh Tomato Bruschetta
Tomato Sandwich
The classic Southern Tomato Sandwich is about as simple as it gets! A perfect no-cook, 5-minute summer meal.
Ingredients
- 4 slices white bread
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (I prefer Duke's brand)
- 1 ½ tablespoons snipped fresh basil leaves
- 1 ripe tomato, sliced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
-
In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise and basil.
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Spread each slice of bread with an equal amount of the basil mayonnaise.
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Divide the tomato slices evenly between two pieces of bread. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper. Place the other two slices of bread (mayonnaise-side down), on top of the tomatoes to form two sandwiches. Slice in half and serve.
Recipe Notes
- These sandwiches are best served immediately. While you can certainly pack them in a picnic basket for the pool (I’ve done it many times!), the bread tends to get soggy from the tomatoes after too long.
- This recipe yields two sandwiches; however, you can easily scale the recipe up to make as many sandwiches as you need.
- Cucumber Tomato Sandwich: add thinly-sliced cucumber to the sandwich.
- Onion Tomato Sandwich: thinly sliced Vidalia onion or pickled red onion would be delicious additions.
- B.L.T.: Add slices of thick, crispy bacon and a few lettuce leaves to each sandwich.
- Pimento Cheese and Tomato Sandwich: spread a layer of pimento cheese on the sandwich for a rich, flavorful addition.
These sandwiches were staples from my very much northern childhood. We ate them everyday in the summer and sometimes enjoyed more than one each! While these are indeed amazing made according to your recipe, they are exemplary when the bread is toasted and delivers a bit of crunch texture wise. Thank you for this one=I can now share it with my children-who thought that I just made these up…
Whether you’re from the north or south, toasted bread or not, they’re absolutely delicious. Hope your kids will love them, too! 🙂
Sounds delish. I grew up with tomato sandwiches too!
Much simpler though. Only miracle whip, sliced bread, and tomatoes. Sometimes we added a slice of cheese.
Thanks for this reminder. And fancier edition.
Thanks, Lindy! I hope that you can enjoy another one this summer and bring back fun memories!