Pan Con Tomate Recipe (Spanish Tomato Toast)
- Jul 3
- 3 min read
This is an open love letter to tomatoes! Pan Con Tomate is bound to become your go to summer breakfast. It’s the epitome of summer in toast form! Grilled bread + garlic + tomato = absolute perfection! This iconic, open-faced sandwich, with origins in Catalonia, is a tapas staple throughout Spain – and for good reason! It’s brightness, crunchiness and freshness is giving 10/10! This simple yet irresistible dish is proof that less is more!
My Pan Con Tomate recipe or Spanish Tomato Toast aims to bring a little bit of Spain to your kitchen. My love affair with this tapa began on a trip to Barcelona. Crusty bread is toasted or grilled, rubbed with tomato (and, sometimes garlic), drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with flaky salt. The grilled bread’s crispy texture serves as nature’s grater, depositing a thin layer of tomato pulp and juice over top. This method yields a delicate tomato flavour and keeps the slice of bread crispy and crunchy. But, if you love tomatoes as much as I do and subscribe to the “I just can’t get enough” theory, then grate the tomato using a box grater, strain and spoon the tomato pulp over the bread.
This easy recipe starts off with a thick slice of artisan bread, such as sourdough or ciabatta. When topped with tomato pulp, these bread varieties maintain their shape without getting soggy. I love using sourdough in this recipe given its tangy flavour, crispy crust, chewy crumb and structural integrity. It’s flavour profile serves as the perfect contrast to the sweet, meaty and juicy tomato. The bread is toasted until golden brown and crisp and is rubbed with a clove of garlic, adding complexity, sweetness, spiciness and depth of flavour without overpowering the dish. A fresh, juicy and ripe tomato is grated into a pulp-like consistency using a box grater. Stick with a vine or heirloom tomato for best results. These tomatoes are sweet yet differ in flavour and texture. Vine tomatoes are milder in flavour and meatier in texture. Conversely, heirloom tomatoes are known for their intense “tomato” taste and delicate consistency and texture. Whatever option you choose, you really can’t go wrong! The tomato mixture is then strained, removing the tomato juice because nobody likes a soggy sandwich. Discard the tomato juice or stay hydrated and drink your vitamins. The pulp is then spooned over the garlic-infused bread and topped with a good quality olive oil for added fruitiness and richness. Flaky sea salt is sprinkled over top, adding salinity while also amplifying and enhancing the natural flavours of the ingredients in this dish. All the ingredients combine to create a bright, fresh, crunchy, sweet and satisfying bite.
I’m on a strict Spanish diet from here on out. Pan Con Tomate for breakfast, lunch and dinner! This dish comes together in under 10 minutes, uses a handful of simple and everyday ingredients and couldn’t be easier to make! Ripe tomatoes on hand? This recipe should be on your must try list! So, let me show you how it’s done. Grab a spoon and come and cook with me!
For more fun and exciting sandwich ideas, try my Japanese Egg Sandwich, Ultimate Ciabatta Sandwich, BLT Sandwich with Fried Green Tomatoes and Croissant with Strawberries and Cream recipes!
Prep Time: 4 minutes
Cook Time: 4 minutes
Total Time: 8 minutes
Serves: 1
Ingredients:
1 thick slice of gluten-free or regular sourdough bread, cut 3/4 inch in thickness
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
1 small garlic clove, peeled
1 large, ripe vine or heirloom tomato
Pinch of sea salt
Instructions:
To a medium skillet, set over medium heat, add the olive oil. Once hot, place the slice of sourdough bread over top and cook for 2 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove the toasted sourdough bread from the skillet and rub garlic over both sides and set aside.
Set the tomato onto a cutting board and using a sharp knife, cut a thin sliver off the bottom, exposing the flesh.
Holding the tomato by the top, grate the bottom of the tomato using the largest holes of a box grater. Discard the stem and resulting outer skin.
Transfer the grated tomato into a fine meshed sieve, straining out the tomato juice. Drink or discard the remaining tomato juice.
Spoon the grated tomato over the toasted sourdough bread. Drizzle olive oil over top and season with a pinch of sea salt. Serve and enjoy!
