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A juicy stuffed marinated tomato sandwich stuffed with a dairy-free cream cheese spread and sumac onions. Easy to make and packed with flavor.
I currently have two loves. The first are some Turkish-style marinated sumac onions. Tangy, the right amount of crunch and sour. They have been a favorite recently along with summer tomatoes. Honestly, just a little salt is enough for them sometimes, but as a sandwich filler, I wanted to give them a little more love by marinating them in olive oil, basil, garlic and more lemon. Tucked in with a creamy tofu spread, this sandwich is giving me all I wanted out of summer in a few bites.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Marinated Tomato Sandwich
- A good way to make the best use of your summer tomatoes while they last. Saying goodbye to summer is hard. While the tomatoes are still full of flavor, use them in more recipes like this one.
- Marinating vegetables brings out their best flavor. Fresh summer produce is always amazing on its own, but dressing them up to enhance their natural savory, tangy and sweet flavors makes them even better.
- Easy to make. Each component of this sandwich is easy to set up. And, if you make the tofu filling ahead of time, the sandwich comes together even quicker.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Tofu: I recommend using extra firm tofu. For this cream cheese I typically will use Nasoya’s extra firm tofu for best results. Firm or medium firm can work too for this recipe. However, I do recommend pressing these less firm varieties using a tofu press for at least 15 minutes before using.
- Cashews: Will help firm up the tofu filling when blended together. Raw cashews should be used in this recipe. If you are allergic to cashews, swap the cashews for pepitas.
- Lemon: Both the zest and juice is used in multiple applications within this recipe. I do recommend fresh for the best flavor.
- Tomatoes: I used in season heirloom tomatoes. You can also use regular hot house tomatoes.
- Red Onions: Feel free to swap with white onions if preferred.
- Sumac: A middle Eastern seasoning that imparts a lovely sour citrusy flavor with some floral notes. If you do not have access to sumac, add more lemon zest and adjust the vinegar used to your liking.
- Herbs: I used a combination of fresh parsley and basil. You can always substitute with other herbs you may have on hand as well like dill or fresh oregano.
- Hearty Bread: Use bread that you like best. I often will use either a good sourdough bread or some sprouted whole wheat bread. Both options are gut supportive. Sprouted grains in particular may also help with absorbing more nutrients from your bread as well.
How to Make a Marinated Tomato Sandwich
Place the cashews in a heat resistant bowl and cover completely with boiling water. Allow to soak for 15 minutes to soften them. Discard the liquid and add the cashews to a blender cup with the remaining tofu spread ingredients. Blend on high until the mixture is completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
Pour the mixture into an airtight container then place in the fridge to firm up. For a firmer consistency, allow to firm up overnight before enjoying.
For the sumac onions, add the onions to a bowl with the oil, vinegar, lemon, sumac, a pinch of salt, and parsley. Use a spoon or clean hands to toss everything together, then allow to sit and soften for 10-15 minutes.
For the tomatoes, add the oil, garlic, parsley, basil, lemon to a shallow bowl and stir together to combine. Add your tomato slices and coat well in the marinade. Top the tomatoes with a little salt, then allow the slices to sit for 5-10 minutes to absorb some of the flavors.
To assemble your sandwich, add a few slices of avocado to one slice of bread. Top with a few dollops of the tofu mixture and spread it out evenly. Add a layer of tomato slices, the onions and some lettuce. If you have extra marinade from the tomatoes, drizzle it on top of the lettuce. Spread some of the tofu mixture on a second slice of toast and top your sandwich with it then enjoy.
Expert Tips
- Soak your cashews before blending. This will soften them and make for a smoother texture when blended. If you forget to soak them overnight, just add them to boiling water for 15 minutes to soften them. Discard the water afterwards then use the cashews to blend.
- Adjust flavors to your own preference. This sandwich is pretty laid back in terms of preparation. Feel free to adjust the flavor profile of any component of this sandwich to fit your own personal preference.
- Reduce the sharpness of the onions by soaking. You can do this by adding your sliced onions to a bowl of cold water and allowing them to soak for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse and they are ready to use without the sharp astringent flavors.
- Use firm to extra firm tofu for thicker texture. I like using extra firm tofu for this spread, so I typically will use Nasoya’s. This will work for firm or medium firm tofu as well. However, I do recommend pressing these less firm varieties using a tofu press for at least 15 minutes before using to make the spread less watery in consistency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can this sandwich be made in advance?
I recommend enjoying this sandwich fresh. If you wish to make a component ahead of time, it would be the tofu spread. Blend and prepare this in advance and store leftovers in the fridge for up to 7 days. Make sure to use clean utensils anytime you plan to take from the container.
How do you choose a good tomato?
If it’s available to you, get your tomatoes locally. They will always be more flavorful. Bigger tomatoes should be heavy for the size when held. Avoid tomatoes that are too soft. They should be firm, but give slightly. If they are too firm, you can leave them to ripen up more on your counter before use.
How can I make this gluten-free?
If you have a gluten allergy, the only ingredient that needs to be swapped is the bread. Feel free to use a gluten-free bread you love or enjoy in a gluten-free wrap. You can also serve the ingredients chopped and dressed in a salad. Replace the bread for some roasted chickpeas instead.
How to Serve
Feel free to adjust the way you assemble your sandwich. You can use different condiments to compliment the flavors in this sandwich or layer the ingredients differently.
You can also enjoy this as a toast or open face sandwich. Spread your bread with the tofu layer then top with the marinated tomatoes and onions. If you need a non-tofu option, swap the tofu spread for some mashed avocado or hummus instead.
More Plant Based Sandwich Recipes to Try
- Grilled Chickpea Veggie Pita
- Gochujang Tofu Sandwich
- Vegan Pesto Sandwich
- High Protein Avocado White Bean Sandwich
- Maple Hoisin Shredded Tofu Wraps
Marinated Tomato Sandwich
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star5 from 1 review
- Author: Catherine Perez
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 3 sandwiches 1x
- Category: Sandwich
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A juicy stuffed marinated tomato sandwich stuffed with a dairy-free cream cheese spread and sumac onions. Easy to make and packed with flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Tofu Spread
- 3/4 cupraw cashews
- 265gextra firm tofu, drained from package (see notes )
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- Juice ofhalf asmall lemon
- 1 tbspapple cider vinegar
- 2 tspwhite miso paste
- 1 tspKosher salt
Marinated Tomatoes
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
- 3 tbsp fresh basil, minced
- Zest and juice of half a lemon
- 1–2 heirloom tomatoes
Sumac Onions
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp sumac
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- Zest and juice of half a lemon
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp parsley, minced
For Sandwich
- Bread (I love whole grain or sourdough)
- Avocado slices, optional
- Lettuce, optional
- Kosher salt as needed
Instructions
- Place the cashews in a heat resistant bowl and cover completely with boiling water. Allow to soak for 15 minutes to soften them. Discard the liquid and add the cashews to a blender cup with the remaining tofu spread ingredients. Blend on high until the mixture is completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Pour the mixture into an airtight container then place in the fridge to firm up. For a firmer consistency, allow to firm up overnight before enjoying.
- For the sumac onions, add the onions to a bowl with the oil, vinegar, lemon, sumac, a pinch of salt, and parsley. Use a spoon or clean hands to toss everything together, then allow to sit and soften for 10-15 minutes.
- For the tomatoes, add the oil, garlic, parsley, basil, lemon to a shallow bowl and stir together to combine. Add your tomato slices and coat well in the marinade. Top the tomatoes with a little salt, then allow the slices to sit for 5-10 minutes to absorb some of the flavors.
- To assemble your sandwich, add a few slices of avocado to one slice of bread. Top with a few dollops of the tofu mixture and spread it out evenly. Add a layer of tomato slices, the onions and some lettuce. If you have extra marinade from the tomatoes, drizzle it on top of the lettuce. Spread some of the tofu mixture on a second slice of toast and top your sandwich with it then enjoy.
Notes
Soak your cashews before blending. This will soften them and make for a smoother texture when blended. If you forget to soak them overnight, just add them to boiling water for 15 minutes to soften them. Discard the water afterwards then use the cashews to blend.
Adjust flavors to your own preference. This sandwich is pretty laid back in terms of preparation. Feel free to adjust the flavor profile of any component of this sandwich to fit your own personal preference.
Reduce the sharpness of the onions by soaking. You can do this by adding your sliced onions to a bowl of cold water and allowing them to soak for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse and they are ready to use without the sharp astringent flavors.
Use firm to extra firm tofu for thicker texture. I like using extra firm tofu for this spread, so I typically will use Nasoya’s. This will work for firm or medium firm tofu as well. However, I do recommend pressing these less firm varieties using a tofu press for at least 15 minutes before using to make the spread less watery in consistency.
You will have leftover tofu spread, but you can store leftovers for up to 7 days to use as desired.
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
★Catherine
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