Tomato, Basil & Artichoke Picnic Sandwich

summer / vegan / favorites

Last week, I was in New York speaking at a Random House event with (one of my favorite bloggers ever), Jenny from Dinner a Love Story. We chatted about our shared love for the simple tomato sandwich and how you shouldn’t complicate things that are as beautiful as summer tomatoes. I forgot that I had this post in the queue – because I absolutely LOVE this slightly fancier tomato-with-other-things sandwich.

This reminds me of a juicy caprese sandwich except, well, there’s no cheese here. Instead, there’s a good slathering of this edamame spread that I’m still obsessed with. This time I made it with basil instead of cilantro which makes it taste completely different and oh-so summery.

The rest of the components are SO simple that the success of this sandwich depends on getting them right. First off, I recommend finding the best baguette you can get your hands on (we get ours from Elizabeth St. Cafe). Next, use in-season tomatoes and fresh basil. Since artichokes are out of season I used good quality jarred roasted artichokes which I’ve recently realized are far superior to canned artichokes.

Assemble this early in the day at least a few hours before your picnic (or even the night before) so that the sweet tomato-basil juices do that thing where they mingle together and partially soak into the middle of the bread. I like to assemble this using one large baguette, wrap it up, store it in the fridge, and then slice it into individual portions just before I’m ready to pack them up.

Happy picnicking!

4.9 from 13 reviews

Tomato, Basil & Artichoke Picnic Sandwich

  PrintAuthor: Jeanine DonofrioServes: serves 4IngredientsBasil-Edamame Spread: (this makes extra)

• 1½ cups edamame
• ¼ cup basil
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped scallions
• ½ small garlic clove
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 to 3 tablespoons water
• ½ teaspoon sea salt, more to taste

for the sandwiches:

• 1 large baguette
• handful of baby salad greens (or arugula)
• 2-3 medium tomatoes, sliced
• 10 basil leaves
• 10 jarred roasted artichokes, cut into quarters or roughly chopped
• pine nuts, optional

Instructions

Make the basil-edamame spread: Place the edamame, basil, lemon juice, scallions, garlic, and sea salt into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until chopped. Add the olive oil and blend until smooth. Add up to 3 tablespoons of water to create a smooth, spreadable consistency. Season to taste and chill until ready to use. The filling can be in advance and stored in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

Slice one large baguette in half and assemble with the basil-edamame spread, greens, tomatoes, basil, artichokes and pine nuts. Close the baguette, wrap it in foil and place in the fridge until you're ready to divide into servings. Slice into 4 individual servings and either wrap them to go or enjoy!

Notesnote: this recipe serves 4, but the sandwich in the picture is 2 servings.3.4.3177

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