Ultimate Tomato Sandwich Recipe
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Anyone with a garden or close proximity to a farmer's market can tell you that ripe tomatoes are one of the best parts of summer. Juicy, bright, and pleasantly sweet, the flavor is fresh and delicious entirely on its own, and there's hardly a better way to eat them than in a tomato sandwich. Simplicity at its finest, a good tomato sandwich often requires only the bright ripeness of the tomato, the creaminess of mayonnaise, and soft, buttery bread. It's a classic formula that highlights the succulent goodness of the humble fruit, but of course, it's one that offers endless possibility to build upon.
This ultimate tomato sandwich recipe elevates that simple, no-frills tomato sandwich into an artisanal lunchtime treat. Tangy sun-dried tomato aioli, creamy burrata, and thick slices of beefsteak tomato are held together with crusty, toasted ciabatta and dotted with fresh basil. A cross between a tomato sandwich and a caprese, the stack maximizes the use of tomato while balancing the bright flavor with rich, creamy components. Easy but indulgent, this sandwich might be your new favorite way to enjoy the last of your summer tomato harvest.
Gather the ingredients to make an ultimate tomato sandwich
You don't need to know everything about aioli to understand that it's basically an upscale version of mayonnaise, and you can shortcut a homemade version by using mayo in the place of eggs and oil. So, with that in mind, you'll need mayonnaise, sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil (you'll need that oil, too), garlic, lemon, salt, pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes to make the sun-dried tomato aioli. The rest of the sandwich then only requires a few ingredients: large, ripe tomatoes, burrata cheese, basil, and ciabatta, which can be swapped for French bread or baguette.
Step 1: Make the aioli
Make the aioli: Add the mayonnaise, sun-dried tomatoes, sun-dried tomato oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to a food processor.
Step 2: Pulse aioli until smooth
Pulse until mostly smooth and combined. Set aside.
Step 3: Salt the tomatoes
To begin the sandwich, arrange the tomato slices on a paper-towel lined sheet tray and sprinkle with salt. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, as you prepare the other elements.
Step 4: Heat up a large skillet
Heat a skillet that's large enough to fit your sandwich rolls over medium heat.
Step 5: Spread plain mayonnaise on bread
Spread mayonnaise across the inside of each half of bread.
Step 6: Toast the bread
Toast the bread slices face-down until golden and brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 7: Spread burrata out onto bread
To build the sandwiches, evenly distribute the burrata across both bottom pieces of bread. The cheese should melt slightly on the warm bread.
Step 8: Dry and distribute the tomatoes, then top with basil
Blot the tomato slices dry and distribute them over the burrata, then top with basil.
Step 9: Finish the ultimate tomato sandwich with aioli before serving
Spread the aioli across the top pieces of bread, then cap off each sandwich and serve.
What to serve with this ultimate tomato sandwich
Ultimate Tomato Sandwich Recipe
Don't settle for a plain old tomato sandwich when you could have this ultimate one, which comes packed with juicy tomatoes, sun-dried tomato aioli, and burrata.
Ingredients
- For the sun-dried tomato aioli
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
- 1 teaspoon sun-dried tomato oil (from the jar)
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- For the sandwich
- 4 beefsteak tomatoes, sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large ciabatta sandwich rolls, split
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, for toasting
- 8 ounces burrata cheese
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves
Directions
- Make the aioli: Add the mayonnaise, sun-dried tomatoes, sun-dried tomato oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to a food processor.
- Pulse until mostly smooth and combined. Set aside.
- To begin the sandwich, arrange the tomato slices on a paper-towel lined sheet tray and sprinkle with salt. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, as you prepare the other elements.
- Heat a skillet that’s large enough to fit your sandwich rolls over medium heat.
- Spread mayonnaise across the inside of each half of bread.
- Toast the bread slices face-down until golden and brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- To build the sandwiches, evenly distribute the burrata across both bottom pieces of bread. The cheese should melt slightly on the warm bread.
- Blot the tomato slices dry and distribute them over the burrata, then top with basil.
- Spread the aioli across the top pieces of bread, then cap off each sandwich and serve.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 611 |
| Total Fat | 50.3 g |
| Saturated Fat | 15.3 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 70.2 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 23.8 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.6 g |
| Total Sugars | 4.1 g |
| Sodium | 758.3 mg |
| Protein | 17.4 g |
Why do I have to salt the tomato slices before adding them to the sandwich?
Salt does more than just boost the flavor of store-bought tomatoes; it also draws moisture out of the tomatoes to prevent soggy toasts and sandwiches. The process of drawing water out of the tomato using salt, also called osmosis in a more scientific term, brings any moisture to the surface, which can then be blotted away with a paper towel. In a sandwich already stacked with so much moisture, it is important to salt the tomatoes in order to avoid a wet or soggy sandwich. The tomatoes won't end up dry, of course — you'll still have perfectly juicy tomatoes, the juices just won't soak immediately into the bread.
Beyond removing moisture, salt does improve the flavor of tomatoes, especially the store-bought variety that can lean on the blander side. Tomatoes benefit from seasoning of all kinds, so you can go beyond simple salt in this step and season with oregano, dried basil, or dried parsley, too, adding the seasoning just after blotting the tomatoes dry. Just let the tomatoes rest for 10 minutes, blot, season, and they'll be ready to go.
What's the best way to add burrata to a sandwich?
Burrata is sort of like the creamier, saltier, more artisanal version of fresh mozzarella, and you'll typically find it packaged as a ball (or curd) in water. Since it comes in a ball format, it needs to be broken open and spooned onto sandwiches rather than sliced and melted. There's no need to melt burrata because it is already creamy on its own, but adding it to the sandwich requires more than just plopping the ball of curd onto the bread. The best way to enjoy burrata is to drain the package completely (again, we're avoiding excess moisture wherever possible here), then break open the ball with your hands and spread the contents onto the bread.
You can still eat the outer curd of burrata, and in a sandwich, you'd hardly know that it is there. I like to add torn pieces of the curd on top of the spread burrata to bulk up the sandwich and distribute the textures evenly. Against toasted bread, the burrata warms slightly, taking some of the chill from the cold cheese without fully melting it. If you can't get your hands on burrata, mozzarella will work well. Just be sure to use fresh slices of mozzarella rather than the shredded kind for best results.