I tried Ina Garten’s tomato sandwich recipe — and found it to be the perfect easy summer lunch

The basil mayo requires seven ingredients total: mayonnaise, kosher salt, black pepper, basil leaves, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil.

I kicked things off by measuring out a cup of my go-to mayonnaise and putting it into a bowl.

Next, I chopped the basil. The recipe calls for 10 to 15 basil leaves; I love the flavor, so I chopped 15.

I also measured out and added the kosher salt, olive oil, ground black pepper, lemon juice, and minced garlic.

I used a small whisk to mix everything up in a bowl.

A fork would also probably work here, but the mayonnaise was so thick that I found a whisk much easier to use.

After slicing the tomatoes, it was time to assemble the sandwich.

The result was amazing: The combination of the juicy, sweet tomatoes and the herby basil mayo made for a refreshing yet filling (and deeply savory) meal.

I chose to eat the sandwich with some seasoned waffle fries. Since Garten’s recipe makes a ton of basil mayo, I used the remainder as a dipping sauce.

The basil mayo definitely stood out to me, and I already can’t wait to make it again.

I enjoyed it as a dipping sauce for my fries, but it definitely worked better as a sandwich add-on. On the sandwich, the salty flavor perfectly complemented the juicy tomatoes.

When paired with fries, though, the saltiness was a little overwhelming. In the future, if I make it as a dipping sauce, I’ll dial back the kosher salt.

In the meantime, though, I plan to try out this versatile condiment on other dishes, too — including BLTs, turkey sandwiches, and even Italian subs.