Roasted Tomato Sandwich with Vegan Aioli

This simple roasted tomato sandwich is so delicious and also easy to make. It combines oven-roasted slices of tomatoes with herbs, cucumber, avocado and a quick garlic and olive aioli. Perfect for lunch or breakfast and this version is vegan!

Next time you are looking to elevate a classic tomato-mayo sandwich, then you should give this roasted tomato sandwich a try! 

Roasting tomatoes in the oven helps concentrate their flavor, making it a great way to serve tomatoes when they are not in season. I made this sandwich in January here in Maine, and it was absolutely amazing. Now I cannot wait to make it again during the summer months using freshly picked garden tomatoes!

This recipe was actually inspired by my roasted vegetable sandwich recipe that we are obsessed with, but this time I wanted to highlight tomatoes and show a way to boost their flavor for enjoying them all year round.

We also love how easy this recipe is: the tomatoes are simply seasoned with salt, black pepper and your favorite blend of dried herbs, then they are baked and caramelized in the oven until soft, juicy and sweet. They pair well with crunchy cucumber to give your sandwich a nice mix of contrasting textures, plus some creamy avocado for a filling and satisfying sandwich packed with healthy fats.

I also made a garlic and olive aioli to bring more flavor to the tomato sandwich, which can be whipped up in 5 minutes while the tomatoes are baking.

Let me know if you gave it a try! ❤️

Jump to:

• ❤️ Why you will love this recipe
• 🗒 Ingredients you will need
• 🍴 How to make
• 💡 Helpful tips
• 🍽 Serving suggestions and variations
• ❗️Storage tips
• 🌱 More recipes like this
• 📖 Recipe

❤️ Why you will love this recipe

• Easy to make 
• Perfect way to use tomatoes all year round
• Nutrient-dense sandwich packed with vitamins and healthy fats
• Highly customizable
• Great for lunch, but also makes for a yummy breakfast recipe
• Includes a dreamy vegan aioli packed with flavors
• Vegan, dairy-free and can easily be made gluten-free

🗒 Ingredients you will need

• Bread: you can use any kind of bread that you like. I think sourdough bread is a great choice for tomato sandwiches, but panini bread, focaccia bread, ciabatta roll, French baguette or regular sandwich bread works too. If you are looking for a gluten-free recipe, then you should give this buckwheat chia bread recipe a try!
• Fresh tomatoes: for this recipe, I used 2 large organic tomatoes on the vine. You can also use cherry tomatoes or better, larger cocktail tomatoes. Simply slice them in half before roasting them. These smaller tomatoes might give you more of a creamy confit tomato effect, which you can just scoop over toasted bread once baked.
• Dried herbs: to flavor the roasted tomatoes, I used a mix of basil and oregano, but an Italian seasoning mix would work great.
• Cucumber: we loved the cooling effect and crunchy texture of cucumber for this sandwich, which brought a nice contrast.
• Avocado: for more healthy fats and a nice creamy texture. 

To make the garlic-olive aioli

• Vegan mayo: use any kind of mayonnaise you like. I used the store-bought brand Follow Your Heart, but for an oil-free healthier aioli, you can also whip up a batch of cashew mayo.
• Lemon: for a little extra tangy flavor, I added 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, although you can add more to taste. Be careful though not to add too much since the texture of the aioli can turn too watery.
• Fresh garlic: one clove of garlic gave just the right amount of garlicky taste for my preference, but add more as needed.
• Olives: I used finely chopped kalamata olives to boost the salty and briny flavor of the aioli. Omit if you don't have them!

⭐️ See below in the recipe card for the measurements

🍴 How to make

⭐️ See below in the recipe card for the full recipe!

This recipe is very simple. Compared to a regular toasted tomato sandwich, all you have to do is bake the tomatoes in the oven before assembling the sandwich, so easy!

Start by preheating the oven to 350º and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roast the tomatoes

Slice the tomatoes in about ½ inch of thickness. Transfer the tomato slices to the prepared baking sheet and then, spray or brush some oil over (this step is optional, can be done oil-free).

Sprinkle some salt, ground black pepper, dried oregano and dried basil over the top of the tomatoes, then bake for about 20-25 minutes or until done to your liking.

Make the aioli

While the slices of tomato are roasting, then simply pit and chop the olives finely. Combine the mayo, lemon juice, garlic and chopped olives in a small bowl, then transfer to the fridge until ready to serve.

Assemble and serve

Once the tomatoes are done baking, then toast the bread slices. Spread some of the aioli over each slice, then layer the cucumber, avocado slices and roasted tomatoes. Close the sandwich, slice it in half and enjoy!

💡 Helpful tips

• Adjust cooking time depending on what you are looking for. You can roast them shortly for warm and juicy tomatoes, or roast them longer for 35-40 minutes to remove even more of their moisture. 
• If you don't want to use the oven at all, then you can use cherry tomatoes and make them burst on high heat on the stove in a skillet. 

🍽 Serving suggestions and variations

This sandwich is great on its own as a filling yummy lunch. But, it also goes great with a side of soup, especially this amazing creamy broccoli pea soup or this cold cucumber soup if served in the summer. 

A light salad would also complement this sandwich beautifully. Try pairing it with a kale apple salad or a zesty quinoa salad.

Here are other ways you can serve this sandwich:

• Open-face sandwich: simply pile up the mayo, avocado, cucumber and tomatoes over each slice of bread and enjoy like toast. 
• More vegetables: feel free to roast some slices of zucchini, mushrooms, eggplant and red pepper as well for a mixed vegetable sandwich. Check out this roasted vegetable pesto sandwich for inspiration.
• Vegan cheese: you can add a cheesy flavor to this sandwich even if making it vegan. Try including some tofu cream cheese, vegan ricotta, sunflower cream cheese or vegan feta cheese!
• Other sandwich spread ideas: you can swap the mayo for other yummy sauces! Pesto would be amazing in this tomato sandwich recipe. Try making this vegan cashew pesto or for a fun twist, make a red pepper pesto instead! Other sauce ideas include this green goddess dressing, chipotle mayo or this tofu spread for a nice boost in plant-based protein.
• More sandwich fillings to try: feel free to also include arugula, lettuce, baby spinach, balsamic vinegar or glaze, fresh basil leaves or red pepper flakes for a little heat. And for a boost in plant-based protein, then try adding some tofu (check out this tofu BLT recipe!)

❗️Storage tips

Once assembled, this sandwich is best when enjoyed right away. The juice from the tomatoes will be absorbed by the bread and eventually turn your sandwich soggy, so you want to avoid that.

The mayo can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for 3-4 days. Just give it a good stir before serving. Making the sauce ahead, even if just 1-2 hours before lunchtime, would allow the flavor to infuse into the mayo even better.

🌱 More recipes like this

• Vegan cucumber sandwich
• Chickpea avocado sandwich
• Tofu scramble sandwich
• Balsamic tofu sandwich wraps
• Spicy buffalo "chicken" sandwich
• Beetroot and pickle sandwich
• Bagel hummus sandwich - 3 ways

I hope you like this roasted tomato sandwich recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!

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📖 Recipe