Tomato Sandwiches Are Good, But We Know How To Make Them Better

A tomato sandwich is the tried-and-true way to get a quick vegetable fix. Slices of a sweet and juicy tomato sprinkled with flaky salt and layered between two bits of bread, usually spread with mayonnaise. It's hard to beat — but not impossible. There are many ways to make a tomato sandwich more interesting, but roasted red bell peppers are the greatest springboard to land you on the next sandwich level. First and foremost, it goes without saying that a perfectly ripe heirloom tomato tastes best on a sandwich (although there are a ton of different tomato varieties, so feel free to experiment). 

With tomatoes and roasted red peppers, you can make a deconstructed romesco sauce sandwich. Begin by toasting two pieces of bread. Rub a fresh clove of garlic into the nooks and crannies. Place the tomatoes on the bread and lightly season with salt and paprika. Then, add bell peppers and drizzle on extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar. Sprinkle the sandwich with shaved almonds and flaky salt. Feel free to add mayo — as in a classic tomato sandwich — to introduce a fatty, creamy element. The fixings in this sandwich resemble the ingredients in a romesco sauce, a popular Spanish condiment. Romesco sauce has a tomato-forward taste with a peppery kick, and the sandwich iteration features a similar flavor profile with a fresher feel and more textural variety.

Ratatouille is a Niçois dish that melds together end-of-summer Mediterranean vegetables into a harmonious stew. The deconstructed ratatouille sandwich takes the components of a traditional Provençal ratatouille and places them between two pieces of toasted French bread. To make a tomato sandwich inspired by classic ratatouille flavors, roast or grill slabs of eggplant, zucchini, and summer squash. If you don't have all three vegetables at the ready, any assortment of Mediterranean veg along with tomatoes and roasted bell peppers will work. Put the vegetables and raw onion on a piece of garlic-rubbed toast, and drizzle on some extra virgin olive oil. Then, season with fresh basil, dried oregano, salt, and pepper, and top it off with another piece of bread.

The deconstructed ratatouille sandwich marries earthy charred vegetables with a sweet freshness. The toasted bread and raw onion serve to contrast the more delicate textures of the other ingredients. As with the deconstructed romesco sauce sandwich, spreading mayonnaise on the bread harkens back to a typical tomato sandwich and welcomes a balance in flavor.