My 1-Ingredient Upgrade for Better Tomato Sandwiches

The first time I had a tomato sandwich at a Manhattan deli over a decade ago, I was smitten. Unfortunately, enjoying them at home has been a lonely affair. My husband and son have an aversion to freshly sliced tomatoes—they strictly enforce a “no tomatoes” policy whenever we order burgers. My husband also dislikes bún riêu, my second favorite Vietnamese noodle soup, which is heavy on tomatoes. Yes, my eyes are rolling right now.

So, when I saw a beautiful box of fresh, red organic tomatoes at Trader Joe’s, I hesitated to add them to my cart. I was already at the checkout line when I dashed back to grab them. Their destiny? To become tomato sandwiches for a quick work-from-home lunch the next day. 

I knew it would be a tough sell for my husband, but I craved tomato sandwiches and didn’t feel like making him a separate dish for lunch. So, I brainstormed ways to make the sandwich more appealing to him. Scanning my refrigerator, I had an aha moment when my eyes landed on my tub of miso. Before spreading mayonnaise on the bread, I mixed it with miso to give the entire tomato sandwich a quick umami punch.

How I Effortlessly Upgrade My Tomato Sandwiches

I keep my tomato sandwiches simple. I spread mayonnaise, preferably Kewpie mayo, over two slices of toasted sourdough bread. Since fresh tomatoes are wet, toasting the bread first dries it up, providing a nice contrasting crunch. 

Then, I slice my fresh tomatoes crosswise (this is just a matter of preference in sliced tomato aesthetics). I lay the tomatoes on a paper towel-lined plate before seasoning them with ground black pepper and sea salt flakes. The tomatoes go between the two slices of mayo’ed toast because that’s how sandwiches work.

My tomato sandwich, as is, is simple, refreshing, and delicious—a classic. That said, I was ready to take it to the next level. I experimented with some ratios and found that exactly one-half teaspoon of red miso to one tablespoon of Kewpie mayo was perfect. The resulting mixture looks like pale peanut butter and is perfectly balanced and not too brackish.

I spread my miso-mayo mixture over my toasted sourdough bread and assembled the sandwiches. One slice down the middle and they were ready for serving. I took one bite and then another. With my instant upgrade, the juicy tomatoes tasted sweeter, almost like apples, the mayo pleasantly tangy and savory simultaneously, and all the flavors perfectly balanced. Even the tang from the sourdough tasted stronger. 

Before I knew it, I had finished my sandwich and was licking my fingers. I hungrily eyed the one reserved for my husband, Jake. Unfortunately for me, let’s just say my upgrade meant I didn’t get seconds.