Tomato Sandwich with Basil Mayo
This Tomato Sandwich with Basil Mayo is the ultimate summer lunch! There’s something particularly delicious and satisfying about summer ripe tomatoes and mayo sandwiched together between slices of thick, crusty bread, the juice running down your arms as you go in for another bite. It’s even better with our lemony basil mayo, one of our favorite sandwich condiments. Add some shaved parmesan and you’ve taken a simple classic sandwich and made it into one you’ll be dreaming about all summer.
Ingredients in the Basil Mayo
We love a good condiment or sauce, and this one is better than good. It’s savory, herby, a little tangy, and a stellar partner for fresh summer tomatoes.
Basil and tomato go hand in hand, so it seemed like a no-brainer to use this spread on a classic tomato sandwich. Here’s what you’ll need for the basil mayo:
- Mayonnaise – it’s important to use good quality mayonnaise here, so no Miracle Whip (it’s just too sweet for this basil mayo). Duke’s or Best Foods/Hellmann’s work best in this recipe.
- Fresh basil leaves – it seems like a lot of basil, but that’s what makes this spread so good and herby.
- Lemon juice – the lemon juice brightens up the basil mayo and makes it taste like summer.
- Salt and pepper – if you’re watching your salt intake, you can skip the salt, but it really helps to bring out the flavor of the basil. Black pepper rounds out this condiment without dominating it.
Ingredients in the Tomato Sandwich
To make the perfect tomato sandwich, you need the best ingredients. It’s a simple sandwich, but one that can be messed up by using under ripe tomatoes or poor quality bread.
To make this sandwich the best way possible, you’ll need:
- Sourdough bread, lightly toasted – use the best quality sourdough you can find. Toasting it lightly gives a little extra texture to the sandwich without making the bread too crunchy. If you don’t like sourdough, a nice French loaf works well too.
- Tomatoes – we suggest using heirloom tomatoes or other large, fresh, ripe summer tomatoes.
- Shaved parmesan cheese – this isn’t standard in most tomato sandwiches, but we find it adds a nice, pleasant savory flavor.
- Basil mayo – these sandwiches are best when slathered with a generous amount of this spread.
- Flaky sea salt – tomatoes are always better with a little salt sprinkled on top.
- Cracked black pepper – use as much pepper as you’d like here.
How to make the Tomato Sandwich with Basil Mayo
To make these tomato sandwiches, you first need to make the basil mayo. To a high sided container, add the mayo, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and basil and blend it all up with an immersion blender. You can also use a food processor, but it won’t get the sauce as smooth. This recipe makes about 1 cup of basil mayo, which is enough for 4 to 6 sandwiches. Any extra can be used to make more sandwiches or to spread on burgers, or to use as a dip for veggies or fries.
Next, spread about 2 tablespoons of basil mayo on two of the pieces of lightly toasted bread. Place 2 thick slices of tomato on top of the basil mayo and season the tomatoes with flaky sea salt and cracked black pepper. Arrange the parmesan shavings on top of the tomatoes.
Spread 2 more tablespoons of basil mayo onto the other bread slices and use the bread to top each sandwich. Cut the sandwiches in half and enjoy!
Tomato Sandwich with Basil Mayo
Equipment
- Immersion blender
Ingredients
Basil Mayo
- 1 cup mayonnaise, Duke’s or Best Foods/Hellmann’s
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- ½ tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Sandwich
- 4 slices sourdough bread, lightly toasted
- 4 slices heirloom tomato, or favorite large variety, sliced thick
- 1 oz parmesan cheese shavings, about 10-12 shavings
- 8 tbsp prepared basil mayo
- Flaky sea salt, to taste
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Basil Mayo
- In a high sided container, add the mayo, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and basil and blend it all up with an immersion blender.
- Note: This recipe makes about 1 cup of basil mayo, which is enough for 4 to 6 sandwiches.
Sandwich
- Spread about 2 tablespoons of basil mayo on two of the pieces of lightly toasted bread.
- Place 2 thick slices of tomato on top of the basil mayo and season the tomatoes with flaky sea salt and cracked black pepper.
- Arrange the parmesan shavings on top of the tomatoes.
- Spread 2 more tablespoons of basil mayo onto the other bread slices and use the bread to top each sandwich.
- Cut the sandwiches in half and enjoy!
