Tomato Sandwich

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 meal 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!

Ingredients

The perfect tomato sandwich requires just a handful of basic ingredients: white bread, fresh summer tomatoes, mayonnaise, and fresh basil.

What Tomatoes Go Best on Sandwiches?

Since you’re using just a handful of basic ingredients, 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. Really, any sweet, ripe summer tomatoes that you can get your hands on will work great here!

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 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, and fortunately doesn’t require any actual cooking!

1. Prepare the Basil Mayonnaise. Stir together snipped fresh basil leaves and mayonnaise in a small bowl.
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.
3. Slice and Serve. Cut the tomatoes sandwiches in half, and then serve immediately. Don’t let them sit for too long, or those juicy tomatoes may give you a soggy sandwich!

What to Serve with a Southern Tomato Sandwich

Serve a tomato sandwich for lunch with a side of potato chips and pickles.

If you’d like to offer the sandwiches as a light dinner, try rounding out the meal with any of these additional sides:

• Classic Pasta Salad, Easy Pasta Salad, and Southern Macaroni Salad
• Easy Baked Beans, Homemade Baked Beans with Bacon, Ranch Style Beans, or Crock Pot Pork and Beans
• Hush Puppies
• Coleslaw or Vinegar Coleslaw
• Hoe Cakes
• Baked Potato Wedges, Twice Baked Potatoes, 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream and Chives, Skin On Mashed Red Potatoes, Baked Potatoes, or Easy Potato Salad
• Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese, Crock Pot Mac and Cheese, Stovetop Shells and Cheese, or No-Boil Easy Mac and Cheese
• Corn Salad, Jiffy Corn Casserole, or Fried Corn
• Wedge Salad, Classic Caesar Salad, House Salad with Candied Pecans, or a Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette
• Refrigerator Dill Pickles, Cucumber Salad with Vinegar, Tomato Cucumber Onion Salad, or Cucumber Dill Salad
• Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon or Southern-Style Green Beans
• Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
• Southern Succotash
• Southern Collard Greens
• Fried Okra
• Broccoli and Cheese
• Okra and Tomatoes
• Southern Squash Casserole
• A cup of soup, such as Southern Tomato Bisque, Roasted Tomato Soup, 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.

Recipe Variations

• Cucumber Tomato Sandwich: add thinly-sliced cucumbers 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.
• While we love the white bread classic, you can obviously use any bread that you prefer — from whole wheat bread to pita bread, sandwich rolls, bagels, or croissants.

Tips for the Best Tomato Sandwich Recipe

• 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.
• Don’t forget to season the tomatoes with kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper. This extra touch adds such great flavor to the sandwich!
• Feel free to add extra basil leaves to the sandwich if you like, or slather on some extra mayonnaise to suit your tastebuds.

More Tomato Recipes to Try this Summer

• Southern Tomato Pie
• Fried Green Tomatoes
• Tomato Salad with Basil and Balsamic
• Okra and Tomatoes
• 5-Ingredient Pomodoro Sauce
• Tomato Cucumber Onion Salad
• B.L.T. Pasta Salad
• Fresh Tomato Bruschetta
• Sweet and Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup

This recipe was originally published in July, 2020. The photos were updated in July, 2022.