This is the BEST damn tomato sandwich ever made! It’s a simple 10 minute simple sandwich that is perfect for lunch any day of the week. It’s a vegan and vegetarian friendly sandwich.
Do you remember eating the classic tomato sandwich while growing up? Don’t you miss eating those?
As an adult, I will occasionally make the sandwich for lunch!
But, this time, I thought I would take it up a notch and add a twist to the classic sandwich!
Tips for making this sandwich
- Don’t make this sandwich in advance. It will get soggy.
- You can use vegan cream cheese instead of regular cream cheese for a vegan-friendly version
- Use Roma tomatoes and slice them lengthwise. They are easier to pile on the sandwich
- Make it a double-decker because it’s more fun to eat it that way.
- I used whole wheat bread because it’s slightly better than white bread. Or, try something completely off-the-beaten-path, if you are gluten-sensitive. Gluten free pretzels are the perfect substitute!
- I like to take the ingredients to work and assemble them at lunchtime. This way, I can have the perfect tomato sandwich at lunch and not a soggy mess of a sandwich.
- Don’t forget the broccoli sprouts because they add a hefty amount of nutrition. Want to try something bold? Try adzuki bean sprouts which are easy to sprout and eat. They, too, have a hefty amount of nutrition.
👩🍳 Substitution tip: You can use vegan cream cheese like Kite Hill because it tastes like the real thing.
Forget the mayo, use pesto instead!
The traditional tomato recipe uses mayo as a spread. Furthermore, the purists have gone so far as to insist that only Duke’s Mayo should be used and no other! Yes, that means no Hellman’s either! ????
Well, forget the mayo and definitely forget the purists!
You know mayo is not a healthy product, right? It’s made using bad oils like Soybean oil, sunflower oil, or grape seed oil. Mayo is also made with eggs, which many vegetarians don’t eat.
Instead, I made my version of a green goddess spread. I love, LOVE, LOOOOVE Basil Pesto, especially if it is homemade! It takes this super easy tomato sandwich to a whole new level of yum!!
If basil pesto is too blah for you, you can use this scallion pesto recipe, this bell pepper pesto recipe or even this arugula pesto recipe in this sandwich!
🍅 Handy Tip: Whenever possible, use homemade pesto because you can use good oils like extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil.
It’s the cream cheese that’s the bee’s knees!
Ok, so why is cream cheese important in this recipe? Basil pesto, by itself, is not as easy to spread. Plus, all that oil will seep into the bread and make it fall apart before you have had a chance to taste it!
Adding cream cheese will soak up the extra oil in the pesto and also make it the pesto mix more spreadable!
If you are not a fan of plain tomatoes, try putting in these baked tomatoes with cheese instead. It will make the sandwich taste really good.
For fans of cream cheese in sandwiches, you must try this easy pimento cheese sandwich. It’s made with pantry ingredients and is the perfect summer picnic recipe.
If you love this combination of cucumber and tomatoes, you MUST try these cucumber tomato bites! They are so easy to make and taste like summer in a bite!
Put this in a picnic basket or as a brown bag lunch. Don’t forget to include a note. For inspiration, here are a few really good sandwich puns to include in your note.
🍅 Handy Tip: Cream cheese helps absorb the extra oils in the pesto which makes it more spreadable on a sandwich.
How to make a tomato sandwich
1. Make the pesto spread
- In a food processor, add the basil pesto (make it from scratch or use store-bought pesto).
- Add 1 Tbsp of cream cheese to the food processor and blend until it’s smooth.
- Chop the tomatoes. Use Roma tomatoes and cut them lengthwise.
- Peel the cucumber and slice it. Thin or thick slices will work.
- Cut the bread slices into half. I prefer diagonally.
2. Assemble the best damn tomato sandwich!
- Take one of the cut bread slices and spread the pesto mixture on it.
- Add 2-3 tomato slices.
- Add 2-3 cucumber slices.
- Spread the pesto mixture on a 2nd slice of bread.
- Close the sandwich with this 2nd slice.
- Spread the pesto mixture on top of that slice of bread.
- Top with 2-3 tomatoes.
- Top with 2-3 cucumbers.
- Add broccoli sprouts on top of the cucumber.
- Spread the pesto mixture on a 3rd slice of bread
- Close the sandwich with the 3rd slice and you are done!
Repeat the steps for a second sandwich. This recipe will make 2 sandwiches.
Answering Common Questions
If you are not a fan of plain bread, you can still enjoy this delicious tomato sandwich! Toast the slices first. Then, assemble the sandwich as the recipe states. Bite into it and you will fall in love with the crunchy flavors. 
You can also use the gluten-free breads, low carb breads that you find in the freezer section. Follow the instructions to thaw them and then toast it.
For a tomato sandwich, use Roma tomatoes or beef steak tomatoes because you can slice them. If you find colorful tomatoes like blue tomatoes, kumato and Cherokee purple, use them.
You can make an easy spicy cucumber salad or Tzatziki sauce.
What to serve with it?
Serve this sandwiches with sweet potato wedges or butternut squash fries. Add a kale salad with it to make it a more wholesome meal.
A tall glass of cold beet lemonade will help the sandwich go down better.
Buttered radishes, pickled veggies and tomato relish are a fun side to this sandwich.
Try these tomato recipes
Sharing is caring
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The BEST Tomato Sandwich!
Equipment
- food processor or blender
- Bread Knife
Ingredients
- 3 slices bread cut diagonally
- ½ cup basil pesto homemade or store bought
- 1 Tbsp cream cheese vegan or regular cream cheese
- 2 Roma tomatoes
- ½ cucumber
- 1 cup broccoli sprouts or use the amount you want
Instructions
Before assembling the sandwich
- In a food processor, add the basil pesto and cream cheese½ cup basil pesto, 1 Tbsp cream cheese
- Blend until it’s a smooth consistency and set it aside
- Slice the tomatoes (lengthwise). peel and chop the cucumber2 Roma tomatoes, ½ cucumber
- Cut the bread into half (diagonally, please!)3 slices bread
Time to assemble the best damn tomato sandwich!
- Take 1st bread slice and spread the pesto mixture on it.
- Add 2-3 tomato slices on top and 2-3 cucumber slices.
- Spread the pesto mixture on a 2nd slice of bread
- Top 2nd slice of bread (pesto side down) on the cucumber
- Spread the pesto mixture on top of that 2nd slice of bread
- Top with 2-3 tomatoes and 2-3 cucumbers
- Add broccoli sprouts on top of the cucumber1 cup broccoli sprouts
- Spread the pesto mixture on a 3rd slice of bread
- Close the sandwich with the 3rd slice and you are done!
Repeat the steps for a second sandwich. This recipe will make 2 sandwiches.
Video
Notes
- Nutritional information is approximate
- Don’t make this sandwich in advance. It will get soggy.
- You can use vegan cream cheese instead of regular cream cheese for a vegan-friendly version
- Use Roma tomatoes and slice them lengthwise. They are easier to pile on the sandwich
- Make it a double-decker sandwich because it’s more fun to eat it that way.
- I used whole wheat bread because it’s a little better than the white bread. It’s also a little more denser so it doesn’t get soggy too quickly.
- I like to take the ingredients to work and assemble them at lunch time. This way, I can have the perfect tomato sandwich at lunch and not a soggy mess of a sandwich.
Nutrition
Pin Image
