Vegan Reuben Sandwich with Tempeh

This vegetarian or vegan Reuben sandwich is made with tempeh, sauerkraut, and sourdough rye. Not only is it delicious, but it’s also the perfect way to showcase homemade fermented foods!

Reuben sandwiches are a favorite in our family. We usually enjoy them as a quick and hot meal for a night when we don’t have time to cook. That’s because I always have tempeh and sliced bread stashed in our freezer and a jar of sauerkraut in my fermentation cupboard.

A Fermenting Foodie Sandwich

Reuben sandwiches are so delicious, that hopefully, they will inspire you to try fermenting! Here are all the fermented ingredients that go into a vegan Reuben.

• Sauerkraut is a very easy ferment for beginners. All it takes is cabbage, salt and patience!
• Dijon mustard and cultured ketchup are both simple and delicious.
• Sourdough rye is a no-kneed bread with an amazingly rich flavour.
• Tempeh is definitely a more advanced ferment, but it’s still very fun to make! Why not try something new? We particularly like smoked tempeh in this sandwich.

Gluten-free and Vegan Reuben

The real reason why I enjoy vegan Reuben sandwiches is that they are delicious on gluten-free bread. Most sandwiches just aren’t the same when served on gluten-free bread. But a Reuben is so full of flavor that I just don’t even notice the gluten-free bread.

For the best flavor use whole grain gluten-free sourdough bread.

Vegan Reuben Sandwich

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

A vegan Reuben is the ultimate celebration of fermentation.  Practically everything in it is fermented! The sauerkraut, sourdough rye, and smoked tempeh. It’s also amazingly satisfying and delicious. Perfect when you need a quick hot meal.

• Author: Emillie
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 4 sandwiches 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Grilled
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Russian Dressing

• 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp ketchup
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp finely chopped onion.

Sandwich

• 8 slices of rye bread (or whole-grain GF bread)
• 1/2 cup sauerkraut (well-drained)
• 8 slices of melting vegan cheese
• 4 thinly sliced tempeh (1/4-inch thick)
• 2 Tbsp Earth Balance Butter

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Instructions

1. Mix all of the ingredients for the Russian dressing in a small bowl.
2. Place all the pieces of bread on a broiler-friendly baking pan. Toast under the broiler until they are just starting to brown. The exact timing will depend on the temperature of your broiler. Mine is about 3 minutes on high.
3. Once the bread has toasted on one side, take the pan out of the oven and build the sandwiches. Spread a thin layer of Russian dressing on the toasted sides of the bread, so that both the top and bottom sides of the sandwich are covered.
4. Cover the bottom slice of bread with a piece of tempeh, followed by 2 Tbsp of sauerkraut, and two slices of cheese.
5. Place the second slice of bread on top of the cheese, with the Russian dressing side down. Then butter the top of the sandwich.
6. Broil on low until the top of the bread is well toasted. (About 3 minutes under my broiler).
7. Serve immediately with a large fermented dill pickle and a handful of potato chips.

Notes

• I’ve included my favorite vegan alternatives in the recipe above, however, feel free to replace them with your favorite option.
• Swiss cheese is traditional in a Reuben sandwich, so if you’re a vegetarian feel free to replace the vegan cheese with Swiss cheese, and the margarine for butter.
• If you are using frozen bread or tempeh (the best option for a healthy, instant dinner) expect the bread to take a bit longer to toast. And warm the tempeh up in a frying pan on the stove, while the bread toasts. Broiling won’t be enough to warm up frozen slices of tempeh.

Keywords: vegan, vegetarian, easy, snack, dinner, summer, fall, gluten-free, quick, healthy