Easy Vegan Tempeh Reuben
Layers of marinated tempeh, tangy sauerkraut, creamy vegan Russian dressing, all hugged between slices of toasted rye bread.
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
*Most tempeh is sold in 8 ounce packages.
*Marinating the tempeh can be done a day in advance.
*Making the Russian dressing can also be done a day in advance. Dressing should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Good for 1 week. Additionally store bought Russian dressing or Thousand island dressing can be used instead.
*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.
*Bread toasting option: Instead of toasting bread in a pan, you can toast bread in the toaster. Then build your delicious reuben with tempeh, cheese, sauerkraut, and dressing