Easy Spanish Tomato Toast [Pan con Tomate]

The tomato is one of the main ingredients of Andalusian cuisine. If you have a relative who is from that region, then you will know that they can live peacefully eating only toast and tomatoes.

Partly thanks to this, the now famous Spanish tomato toast arose, and in this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about it. 

Here you can learn how to follow the recipe step by step or the changes you can make to suit what you are looking for.

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If you are looking for various Andalusian recipes, then try making others like the famous Spanish pork cheeks or the popular Spanish pork stew.

Background of the Dish

The Spanish tomato toast should not be confused with the Catalan dish called “pan con tomate” since they are two different recipes. 

The recipe in this article is for the classic tomato toast that comes from the south of Spain.

The Andalusians love tomatoes and there is no doubt about that, but there are times when they had a little left over, and they no longer knew what to do. 

For that reason, they tried using it as a spread on toast, and the rest is history.

In southern Spain, they already knew that this combination would not fail thanks to the success of gazpacho, so it was only a matter of time until it reached other parts of the country. 

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Things You’ll Need for Spanish Tomato Toast

To make this Spanish tomato toast, the only ingredients that you cannot miss are bread and tomato, everything else you can replace or modify without problems. 

The only necessary equipment is a grater, though you can use a food processor or blender instead.

Ingredients

• 4 slices of bread (the one you like best)
• 1 garlic clove
• 3 plum tomatoes
• Pinch of salt
• Pepper (optional, for seasoning)
• Olive oil (for drizzle on top)

How to Make Spanish Tomato Toast – Step by Step Guide

1. To make this pan con tomate recipe you have to cut the tomatoes in half and grate them using the part of a grater that has the larger holes.

2. Mix the grated tomato with a bit of salt to taste. You can also add ground black pepper or even a dash of extra virgin olive oil. Set aside in the fridge while you prepare the bread.

3. The next step on this Spanish toast is to take your favorite bread and cut it into slices. Or you can use white bread that is already cut.

4. Then toast it in a toaster or a hot skillet with a dash of olive oil. Grab a clove of garlic, cut it in half and drizzle it all over the toasted bread to fill it with flavor.

5. Place a little of the smashed tomato on the toasted bread. A few tablespoons should be enough for this recipe.

6. For the final step, you can add a few drops of extra virgin olive oil to each toast with tomato as a drizzle on top (this is optional). The tomato toast is ready to be served.

Substitution of Ingredients

Unlike other Spanish breakfast recipes, it is very simple to make this one, and the truth is that it does not require many ingredients. 

For that reason, there aren’t many changes to make either, but there are some.

You can use any type of tomato, as long as you can put it through a grater. If you don’t like garlic you can skip it without problems. 

If you want more flavors, you can chop and cook some onion and bell peppers that go very well with the tomato.

As far as bread is concerned, artisan bread or white bread is recommended since it is easier to have the slices cut, but you can use any bread you like. 

If you have time, you can make a homemade Spanish bread recipe, or you can also try using a Spanish baguette.

Tips on Serving Spanish Tomato Toast

The best thing about this pan con tomate recipe is that despite being the typical Spanish breakfast, you can also choose to eat it at other times of the day.

Of course, breakfast is the best option: it is a nutritious breakfast with a unique twist on white toast with jam or cream cheese.

It is also true that it would be a savory breakfast, and some people only want sweet food for that meal of the day. If you are one of them, you can serve it as a Spanish appetizer.

It goes very well as a tapa on its own, or as a side to Spanish rice and beans with pork. This goes to show the versatility of this fantastic dish.

How to Store Spanish Tomato Toast

This Spanish breakfast recipe is meant to be eaten almost as soon as you finish preparing it. 

Think that it takes less than 15 minutes to make it, so it doesn’t make much sense to prepare it in advance.

If you want to make this Spanish breakfast ahead of time, you can prepare the tomato the night before and leave it in the fridge for breakfast. 

It cannot be kept for longer, otherwise, the tomato will darken and take on a metallic taste.

Recipe Card: Spanish Tomato Toast

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