Heirloom Tomato BLT with Chilled Gazpacho
Peak summer on a plate, twice. Thick-cut bacon, juicy heirloom tomatoes, crisp lettuce, and a little jalapeno on toasted country bread with herb aioli - paired with a cup of chilled gazpacho made from the same heirlooms. The whole farmers market in one dinner.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Serves
- 4
- Method
- Assemble
Salt the heirloom slices and let them sit while the bacon crisps - it seasons them and pulls out just enough water so the sandwich does not go soggy. Toast the bread hard so it holds the stack.
What actually matters here
- Salt the tomatoes. Season the heirloom slices and let them drain while the bacon cooks - more flavor, less sog.
- Toast the bread hard. A sturdy, well-toasted slice holds the juicy stack together.
- Make the gazpacho ahead. It tastes better cold and rested - blend it first so it chills while you build.
Ingredients
Serves 4.
Gazpacho
- 2 lbripe heirloom or vine tomatoes, chopped
- 1Persian cucumber
- 1/2red bell pepper
- 1garlic clove
- 3 tbspolive oil
- 2 tbspsherry or red wine vinegar
- salt
BLT
- 12slices thick-cut bacon
- 8slices country bread
- 2large heirloom tomatoes, thick-sliced
- butter lettuce
- 1jalapeno, thinly sliced
Herb Aioli
- 1/2 cupmayonnaise
- 2 tbspchopped basil and chives
- 1garlic clove, grated
- 1 tsplemon juice
Before you start
- Blend the gazpacho ingredients until mostly smooth (leave a little texture); season and chill at least 30 minutes.
- Slice the heirloom tomatoes, salt them, and set on a rack.
- Whisk the herb aioli.
Method
- Cook the bacon until crisp; drain.
- Toast the bread until deeply golden.
- Spread herb aioli on every slice.
- Build: lettuce, salted heirloom tomato, jalapeno, a big pile of bacon, top slice.
- Cut each sandwich in half.
- Serve with a cold cup of gazpacho alongside.
How you know it is right
- The bacon is crisp and piled high.
- The heirloom tomato is ripe, salted, and juicy.
- The bread is toasted enough to hold the stack.
- The gazpacho is cold, bright, and tastes like pure tomato.
How to serve it
Serve the sandwich with the gazpacho in a glass or small bowl for dunking. A handful of chips never hurts. Best the moment it is built.
If you want it simpler
- Skip the gazpacho on a busy night and just serve the BLT with chips.
- Good store-bought aioli plus chopped fresh herbs is a fine shortcut.
Salt the tomatoes, crisp the bacon, build big, cool it with gazpacho.
This dish came from the SEASON plan for July 6 - 12, 2026, alongside nine other dinners and one shopping list.
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Written and tested by Chef Michael Rossi, who has spent thirty years in professional kitchens including Napa Rose, THE RANCH, The Masters at Augusta National, and The Beach Club. Every SEASON recipe is one he has cooked on a real line before it reaches a home kitchen.