A lab model vacuum assisted solar dryer (VSD) was developed for drying tomato slices (4,6 and 8 mm thicknesses) and the results were compared with open sun drying. The time taken fordrying of tomato slices using VSD from an initial moisture content of 15.7 to the final moisturecontent of 0.13 0.01 kg H2O/kg (dry matter) was 360, 480 and 600 min and in open sun drying, itwas 450, 600 and 750 min for 4, 6 and 8 mm thicknesses, respectively. Experimental drying curvesshowed that the entire drying process followed the falling rate periods in both the drying methods forall the slice thicknesses studied. The temperature inside the VSD was increased to 48oC while themaximum temperature under sun drying was 30oC. The influence of air temperature, relativehumidity, solar insolation and wind speed on drying of tomato slices were evaluated. Analyses werealso performed on colour, rehydration ratio and water activity of dried tomato slices. From theanalysis, it was observed that the quality of tomato slices dried using vacuum assisted solar dryerwas significantly higher when compared to sun dried tomato slices.