Quick Summary: Fresh basil pureed into mayonnaise is the simple upgrade that makes this BLT with ripe heirloom tomatoes extraordinary. Use thick-cut bacon and toasted sourdough for the full summer experience. Plus a winter BLT option when fresh tomatoes aren’t available. Prep: 15 min | Cook: 7 min | Serves: 2
Jump To: RECIPE | How to Make It | A Winter BLT | FAQ
A BLT is only as good as its ingredients, and in August at HeathGlen Organic Farm, the ingredients are exceptional.
Heirloom tomatoes straight from the field, basil from the herb garden, thick-cut bacon, and sourdough from the local bakery.
The one small tweak that takes this sandwich over the top is fresh basil pureed into the mayonnaise. It’s a simple addition that ties everything together.
What Makes the Best BLT?
If you’re going to keep the BLT simple and classic, you want to use the best ingredients possible. Here’s what to look for:
- The bread: Sourdough, toasted golden brown. The tang complements the tomatoes.
- The bacon: Thick-cut, fried crisp. About 3-5 minutes over medium-high heat.
- The tomatoes: Heirloom if possible, sliced thick and sprinkled lightly with kosher salt to bring out flavor. Choosing the right variety makes a real difference. This guide to the best tomatoes for sandwiches covers over a dozen meaty slicers that won’t make your bread soggy.
- The lettuce: Crisp frilly butterleaf. It adds texture without overwhelming.
- The mayonnaise: Real mayonnaise pureed with fresh basil leaves. Process ½ cup mayo with ½ cup packed basil in a food processor until smooth.
- Assembly: Spread basil mayo on toasted bread. Layer bacon, then tomatoes, then lettuce. Top with second slice of toast.
The following photo shows you all the ingredients you will need for this recipe. For details on measurements, see the recipe below.
How to Make a BLT with Basil Mayo
The ingredient and recipe details are listed in the recipe card below. In short:
Puree fresh basil into mayonnaise, fry thick-cut bacon until crisp, slice ripe heirloom tomatoes and sprinkle with salt, toast sourdough, and layer everything with frilly lettuce
What About a Winter BLT?
Finding a tomato with flavor in winter is rare, and grocery store tomatoes usually disappoint. But you don’t have to give up BLTs for six months.
Try homemade tomato jam instead of fresh tomatoes. The concentrated sweetness and acidity satisfy the craving when heirloom tomatoes aren’t available. I make a batch every fall and it carries me through winter. For the full recipe and a winter BLT variation, check out this BLT with tomato jam.”
Of course you can also purchase tomato jam online if your tomato season is over and you accidently ate all of the delicious tomatoes!
FAQ
Meaty slicers with good acid-sugar balance. Heirlooms like Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, or Druzba are excellent. Avoid juicy varieties.
Yes. It keeps refrigerated for up to a week. The color may darken slightly but the flavor remains excellent.
Arugula or a mix of fresh herbs (parsley, chives, tarragon) create different but delicious variations.
Not with sourdough bread. For slow-carb, wrap the filling in lettuce leaves or use low-carb bread.
It’s excellent on grilled chicken sandwiches, turkey clubs, or tomato and mozzarella sandwiches.
Any sturdy bread that toasts well works. Ciabatta, country white, or a good sandwich loaf are all fine substitutes.
Large, meaty slicers that won’t make the bread soggy. Heirloom varieties like Mortgage Lifter, Cherokee Purple, and Aussie are ideal because they have small seed cavities and lots of flesh. For a detailed comparison, this guide to the best tomatoes for sandwiches covers all the options.
“This BLT with basil mayo comes in at about 879 calories for one sandwich, which is standard for a BLT with thick-cut bacon and real mayonnaise on sourdough. Most of that comes from the bacon and mayo. For a lighter version, use turkey bacon and thin the basil mayo with a squeeze of lemon juice.
For more ways to cook with tomatoes, browse this collection of heirloom tomato recipes.
Classic BLT with Basil Mayo
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves packed into cup
- 3 pieces bacon I like thick cut
- 1 medium heirloom tomato
- kosher salt to taste
- 4 slices sourdough bread
- frilly lettuce to taste
Instructions
- In a food processor, puree the mayonnaise with the fresh basil leaves.
- In a skillet, fry the bacon over med-high heat until crisp (about 3-5 minutes) and remove to drain on a paper towel when browned to your desired preference. While the bacon is cooking thickly slice the tomatoes and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt to bring out the flavor even more.
- Toast the bread in a toaster or in the top rack of the oven with the broiler turned to high. Watch carefully if using the broiler as it doesn’t take long.
- Assemble the sandwiches by spreading the basil mayo on the golden brown toast, then add the bacon on top of the mayo, the tomatoes on top of the bacon, and the frilly lettuce on top of the tomatoes. Finish with the top slice of toasted sourdough. Summer!!