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The Rules | Tomato Sandwiches

Iona Bower August 10, 2024

Any job, even a simple one, is always worth doing properly. Particularly if it makes the end result even more pleasurable. There’s definitely a simple pleasure in a properly done tomato sandwich… a world away from soggy bread and seeds everywhere. Here are our rules for making the very best tomato sarnie.

1. Let’s begin with the bread. The scaffolding that will hold your tomatoes together. Put down the flimsy pre-sliced plastic bread. That will not do at all. What you need here is something with substance - sourdough is a good choice as it’s dense, so it holds things together well, but anything nice and crusty will do. Wholegrain or very seedy breads are good for texture, too. If you’re worried your bread is too soft in the middle, try toasting it lightly first.* Once you have made your bread selection, cut two nice, thick slices. 

2. What to spread on your bread? The juiciness of a tomato is both its best aspect and its achilles heel, because a sliced tomato will immediately make the bread soggier than a November afternoon on Skegness seafront. To counteract this, you need to create a ‘barrier’ between bread and tomato. The best way to do this is with a reasonably thick layer of salted French butter. Specific? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely. Vegans should replace this with the best quality olive oil or plant-based spread they can muster. Hipsters may use a little mashed avocado as a barrier. If you feel like something a little richer, cream cheese also makes for a good bread/tomato barrier and adds a cool, creamy foil to the sharpness of the tomatoes. A smothering of Pesto will give it some Italian attitude. 

3. Onto the main event. Ideally, your tomatoes will be picked from the garden that morning, leaving the grassy scent of the vines all over your hands and clothes as you bring them in. If you aren’t a grow-your-own type, just look for the freshest tomatoes you can find, preferably on the vine. The variety is entirely up to you - pick your favourite! But we love a large, knobbly beefsteak type as it has lots of pink flesh in the middle for plenty of bite and fewer seeds. Whichever you choose, slice the fruits about half the width of your bread and then place them in two layers across one slice of the buttered bread.

4. What about condiments? Well, the most important question is: salt and pepper? Or… and bear with us here… sugar? If you’ve never given it a go, it’s worth trying at least once. Just sprinkle a little crunchy sugar over your sliced tomatoes. The acidic nature of the tomatoes will soften the sugar slightly and bring out the sweetness of them a little more. If salt is your preferred condiment, a rough, flaky salt with big crystals is best for added crunch. If you want to be very fancy, a smoked salt such as Viking Salt, available from specialist food stores, adds a depth of flavour to the sandwich. A generous grinding of black pepper is optional but always welcome. 

5. And herbs? Basil is classic, of course. Snipped chives also add oniony savouriness to tomatoes. Any fresh herbs will bring new flavour to your tomato sandwich. Dried herbs need not apply. 

6. Let’s close this lunch deal. Pop your top slice on the tomato layer, press down firmly and slice your sandwich in half. We think triangles taste better than rectangles but you do you. 

*A word about toasting your bread. If crunch is the way you choose to go, we highly recommend trying our three-ingredient recipe for Grated Tomato on Fried Bread, from our new series ‘Please Yourself’ in our August issue. It might just be the simplest and most delicious thing you’ll try this month.

Photography by Kirstie Young


Our Tomato Sandwich Rules were inspired by our colourful back cover image from our August issue. The issue is in shops now and can also be purchased from our online store. Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe


More ways with tomatoes…

Featured
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Aug 10, 2024
The Rules | Tomato Sandwiches
Aug 10, 2024
Aug 10, 2024
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Sep 16, 2023
Recipe | Green Tomato Salsa
Sep 16, 2023
Sep 16, 2023
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Jul 15, 2023
Recipe | Tomato Tatin with Thyme Honey
Jul 15, 2023
Jul 15, 2023

More from our August issue…

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Aug 20, 2024
Make | A Beetle Bucket
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How to | Do a Swimming Pool Handstand
Aug 17, 2024
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Aug 1, 2024
Summer Reads | And Summer Tipples
Aug 1, 2024
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InEating TagsIssues 146, tomatoes, sandwich
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Feb 27, 2025
Feb 27, 2025

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See the sample of our latest issue here

Buy a copy of our latest anthology: A Year of Celebrations

Buy a copy of Flourish 2, our wellbeing bookazine

Listen to our podcast - Small Ways to Live Well

Feb 27, 2025
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The Simple Things is published by Iceberg Press

The Simple Things

Taking time to live well

We celebrate slowing down, enjoying what you have, making the most of where you live, enjoying the company of of friends and family, and feeding them well. We like to grow some of our own vegetables, visit local markets, rummage for vintage finds, and decorate our home with the plunder. We love being outdoors and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with a job well done.

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