This mouthwatering easy vegan tempeh reuben offers a plant-based twist on a classic sandwich that is incredibly flavorful and demands to be experienced firsthand. Get ready to indulge in layers of marinated tempeh, tangy sauerkraut, creamy vegan Russian dressing, all hugged between slices of toasted rye bread. Whether you're new to tempeh or a seasoned expert in preparing this delicious plant-protein, this sammy is here to satisfy your cravings for a classic Reuben sandwich and showcases the versatility of tempeh. But wait, there's more! In addition to this mouthwatering recipe, we'll take a deep dive into the fascinating world of tempeh, and learn from a fermentation expert.
Sandwiches are a canvas of endless creativity, where you can stack, stuff, and layer to your heart's content, creating a personalized masterpiece that reflects your unique flavor preferences. This exceptional recipe not only satisfies your cravings for a classic Reuben sandwich but also showcases the versatility of tempeh as a flavorful plant-based protein.
Learn more about various soy products, including 7 more ideas on how to use tempeh.
And if you also share the loooovvvve for sandwiches you must try this vegan chickpea tuna salad sandwich.
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Ingredients
Reuben sandwiches are the epitome of greatness, blending savory, tangy, and creamy flavors into a harmonious symphony of taste. The ingredients used in this recipe follow the unwritten, unofficial rules of creating a classic Reuben and includes marinated tempeh, tangy sauerkraut, melty vegan cheese, and zesty Russian dressing - all grilled to perfection between slices of rye bread.
- Rye Bread
- Tempeh
- Tempeh Marinade: Italian dressing, A1 sauce, garlic powder, dried basil, liquid smoke)
- Vegan Cheese
- Sauerkraut
- Homemade Russian Dressing: Vegan mayo, ketchup, horseradish, applecider vinegar shallots, sriracha
- Plant-based Butter
See recipe card for quantities.
Variations
- Dressing - instead of making the Russian dressing yourself, you can use a store bought option. Additionally, Thousand Island dressing works great in place of the Russian dressing. While they are very similar, Russian dressing has a hint of heat due to the horseradish and hot sauce and Thousand Island dressing has a sweeter and milder taste.
- Bread - this sandwich doesn't have to be made on Rye bread if that isn't your thing, so feel free to use the bread of your liking! I have also made this easy vegan tempeh reuben recipe using sourdough bread and they turned out great. You could also roll up all of these ingredients inside wrap and skip the bread completely.
- Sauerkraut - try switching things up and use a coleslaw in place of the kraut.
Instructions
Start by making the tempeh marinade: Add your Italian dressing, A1 Sauce, garlic powder, dried basil, and liquid smoke to bowl and whisk until well combined. Alternatively you can add these ingredients to a glass jar or container, add a lid, and shake well until combined.
If you are going to make your Russian dressing you can also do this now by grabbing the necessary 6 ingredients (vegan mayo, ketchup, horseradish, apple cider vinegar, sriracha, and minced shallot) and mix together in a small bowl.
Place thinly sliced tempeh in a container and pour marinade over tempeh and let marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Arrange the tempeh on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, place in preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius)
Butter one side of each slice of bread, place in skillet and toast over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly brown
Once bread is toasted to your desired liking, begin to assemble on non-toasted sides. Layer on your sauerkraut, cheese, and warm tempeh to one side of the bread and dressing to the other side.
Add the slice of bread with dressing on top of the other and cook on each side for about 3 to 5 minutes, until bread is toasted to your liking.
Plate sandwich and add a nice handful of crunchy chips or thick cut fries, pickles, and/or nice side salad!
Tip for melty vegan cheese: If you want to help your cheese melt, cover the pan with a lid or using a heat-safe dome to trap the heat and promote melting.
Equipment
- Pan/skillet
- Baking sheet + parchment paper.
Storage & Prep Ahead
Marinating the tempeh and making the Russian dressing can be made a day in advance:
- You can make your tempeh marinade and marinate your tempeh a day before you want to bake and assemble your Reubens. The baked marinated tempeh should be stored in the fridge, good for 3-4 days.
- Additionally, you could make your Russian dressing ahead of time, store in an airtight container in the fridge. Good for 1 week.
Store sandwich all ingredients separately until it's time to assemble your rueben.
Let's Talk Tempeh
Tempeh is a nutrient-dense soy product that is high in fiber, protein, vitamins, antioxidants and phytochemicals. The fermentation process involved in producing tempeh has shown to improve the nutritional value by enhancing several B-vitamins, iron, essential amino acids, fatty acid content. Additionally, the fermentation process removes antinutritional factors such as such as phytate, saponins, hemagglutinins, and antitrypsin that are present in soybeans.(1) Tempeh has a much firmer texture than tofu, which is also made from soy, making it a great option for sandwiches like this easy vegan tempeh reuben sandwich. On its own, tempeh has a mild nutty taste and it easily takes on various flavor-profiles with the use of different marinades, herbs, and spices.
In 2019 I was fortunate enough precept a dietetic intern, Melissa Robinson, MPH who turned out to be a fermentation expert. Prior to starting her journey to getting her Master's in Public Health and becoming a registered dietitian she worked as a Fermentation & Preservation Educator. Let me tell you, I had so many questions and Melissa graciously agreed to provide some answers for me to use here!
Tempeh is an Indonesian soybean ferment made by adding a culture to partially cooked soybeans and incubating for about 2 days. The culture, rhizopus oligosporus, is in the fungus family and actually grows around the soybeans during incubation, forming a "cake" as finished tempeh.
*More on various soy foods and how to use them.
Without freezing or pasteurization, fresh tempeh spoils within a week of storage in the refrigerator. To prevent rapid spoilage, commercial tempeh is pasteurized for stability in the refrigerator. While pasteurization extends the shelf life of tempeh, the texture and flavor are altered. Fresh tempeh has a nutty, mushroom-like flavor with a much firmer texture. Some smaller companies like The Brinery in Ann Arbor, MI make "fresh-frozen" tempeh that is frozen to preserve the taste and texture rather than pasteurized.
One benefit of pasteurized tempeh is that it can be consumed right out of the package. Because fresh or fresh frozen tempeh has never been cooked via pasteurization, you do need to cook the tempeh in some way before consuming. Tempeh has never traditionally been eaten raw and it is not recommended to eat fresh tempeh without cooking.
Making tempeh at home is possible, but can be an intense process requiring the purchase of a starter culture and an incubation system, which you can make using common household items like a cooler and hot water bottles. Because there is nothing quite like fresh tempeh as well as the satisfaction of making your own, I encourage anyone interested to try! In addition to the resources listed below, there are also various online forums and communities that discuss tempeh fermentation.
Wild Fermentation & Art of Fermentation by Sandor Katz
Cultures for Health (to purchase starter culture)
Tempeh Demystified (online zine) by Fermentation on Wheels
Tempeh can be made from a variety of "substrates." Traditionally, tempeh is made from soybeans, but grains and other legumes and beans can also be used to make tempeh. What makes something tempeh is specific to the process and culture harnessed to transform the substrate. My favorite tempeh is made from a mix of soybeans and toasted sunflower seeds.
Because tempeh is cooked before consumption, it does not contain living probiotics when consumed. However, it is full of prebiotic fibers that feeds the "good" bacteria in your GI tract. Additionally, the tempeh culture essentially pre-digests soybeans, making it easier for your body to absorb the nutrients in the tempeh.
I worked at The Brinery, an artisanal food business in Ann Arbor, MI, for nearly four years, where I learned to make tempeh and developed their tempeh department. During this time, I had the opportunity to study fermentation with fermentation revivalist Sandor Katz as well as travel with Tara Whitsitt of Fermentation on Wheels. I also visited Barry's Tempeh in Brooklyn, NYC to see his operation.
I love thinly sliced, fresh tempeh marinated in tamari, fresh ginger, and garlic lightly sautéed - it's simple and excellent on salads, in a bowl or stir fry and even on a tempeh reuben.
At The Brinery, I performed research and development on tempeh production, managing this department as well as improving production processes on a range of other fermented product lines, including hot sauce, sauerkraut, and beet kvass. The Brinery stopped making tempeh after I left to pursue a career in nutrition in 2017, but is currently in the process of relaunching tempeh production. I have been serving as a consultant for their relaunch.
Thank you Melissa for sharing all of this great info!
If you want to geek out on more tempeh information, there is an entire chapter "Tempeh and Other Fermented Soybean Products Rich in Isoflavones" in the book Fermented Foods in Health and Disease Prevention
FAQ
Some tempeh is gluten free, but not all tempeh products are gluten free. It is important to read the nutrition label and check the ingredients. As noted above, tempeh is made from fermented soybeans and can include other substrates including gluten-containing grains.
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Easy Vegan Tempeh Reuben
Ingredients
Tempeh Marinade Ingredients
- ¼ cup Italian Dressing, bottled or homemade
- ¼ cup A1 Sauce
- ½ tablespoon garlic powder
- ½ tablespoon dried basil
- ½ tablespoon liquid smoke
Tempeh
- 16 ounces of Tempeh thinly sliced into strips
Russian Dressing Ingredients
- ½ cup vegan mayo
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons minced shallot
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
Rest of the Rueben Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon vegan/plant-based butter
- 8 pieces of Rye bread or bread of choice
- 4 slices vegan cheese of choice, I like Violife or Chao cheese for sandwiches
- sauerkraut
- Russian dressing, Make your own (included in this recipe) or use store-bought dressing of choice
Instructions
Tempeh Marinade:
- Mix together Italian dressing, A1c sauce, garlic powder, dried basil, and liquid smoke.
Tempeh:
- Slice the tempeh horizontally into thin rectangles. Aim for slices that are about ½ inch wide. For thinner strips, you can further slice the rectangles lengthwise in half, into thinner pieces. This is what I do but feel free to adjust the thickness based on your personal preference.
- Add sliced tempeh to container and pour marinade on tempeh. Add a lid to the container and flip upside down a couple of times to spread the marinade evenly over all of the tempeh slices.
- Place in fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes (or longer), place tempeh on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake in oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees F
Russian Dressing:
- Mix together vegan mayo, ketchup, minced shallot, apple cider vinegar, and sriracha in small bowl.
Rueben Assembly:
- Butter one side of each slice of bread, place in skillet, buttered side down and toast over medium-high heat for about 3-4 minutes, until lightly browned
- Assemble your Rueben on non-toasted sides: Layer on your sauerkraut, cheese, and warm tempeh to one side of the bread and dressing to the other side.
- Add the slice of bread with dressing on top of the other and cook on each side for about 3 to 5 minutes, until bread is toasted to your liking and everything is cooked all the way through.
Notes
References:
- Frías, J., Martínez-Villaluenga, C., & Peñas, E.R. (2016). Fermented Foods in Health and Disease Prevention.
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