A rustic sandwich piled with ripe tomatoes, torn basil, and salty feta, drizzled with olive oil and oregano.
This sandwich draws on the classic Greek horiatiki (village salad) combination of ripe tomato, feta, and olive oil, layered onto crusty bread instead of served as a salad. Torn fresh basil, less traditional than the usual oregano-only seasoning, adds a fragrant, slightly sweet note that plays well against the salty feta and the tomatoes' acidity. The technique that matters most is salting the sliced tomatoes and letting them sit for 10-15 minutes before assembling -- this draws out excess water that would otherwise make the bread soggy, while concentrating the tomato's flavor. A generous drizzle of good olive oil, added right before serving, ties the whole sandwich together the way it would a simple Greek salad. Served with the bread lightly toasted to hold up to the juicy filling, this sandwich is summer eating at its simplest -- built on the same philosophy as Greek salads: a few excellent ingredients, minimally handled, need very little else.
Serves 2
Arrange sliced tomatoes on a tray and sprinkle with salt. Let sit 10-15 minutes, then blot dry with a paper towel.
Lightly toast the bread slices until warm and slightly crisp on the surface.
Layer tomato slices, feta, torn basil, and red onion onto the bread.
Drizzle generously with olive oil and sprinkle with dried oregano and black pepper.
Close the sandwich and serve immediately while the bread is still warm.
Salt the tomatoes and let them sit before assembling -- this pulls out excess moisture that would otherwise make the sandwich soggy.
Use the ripest, best tomatoes you can find; this sandwich has almost nowhere to hide a mediocre tomato.
Add the olive oil generously right before serving rather than earlier, so it stays glossy and doesn't soak entirely into the bread.
Add sliced cucumber and kalamata olives for a fuller Greek salad-style sandwich.
Grill the assembled sandwich briefly for a warm, melted version if using a milder cheese alongside the feta.
Add a spread of hummus or tzatziki to the bread before layering for extra creaminess.
Best eaten immediately since the tomatoes make the bread soggy over time. If prepping ahead, keep components separate and assemble just before eating.
This sandwich draws on horiatiki, the classic Greek village salad built on tomato, cucumber, onion, olives, and feta, a dish with roots in rustic island and mainland Greek cooking that emphasizes fresh, high-quality produce over elaborate preparation.
Salting draws out excess water through osmosis, which both concentrates the tomato's flavor and prevents the bread from getting soggy once assembled.
Fresh basil is strongly preferred here for its bright, aromatic quality -- dried basil tastes muted and slightly grassy by comparison in an uncooked application like this.
A sturdy, crusty bread like a baguette or country loaf holds up best to the juicy tomatoes; soft sandwich bread will fall apart quickly.
Per serving (260g / 9.2 oz) · 2 servings total
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