REUBEN SANDWICH REINVENTED

This awesome recipe has 3 sections of ingredients and requires overnight soaking, but don’t be afraid to give it a try! Read through each step, taking them one at a time and they’ll come together beautifully to make this healthy, delicious and satisfying Reuben sandwich.

Inspired by recipes from ChezBettay and the Chicago Diner

Makes 4 whole sandwiches

Prep time: 20 minutes (not including marinating and soaking time). This recipe calls for overnight soaking and marinating…..but, it’s well worth the prep and wait time!

Cook time: 10-15 minutes

Ingredients

1 pkg. regular tempeh

Cut tempeh on an angle into 1/4″ slices so they will hold together – not paper thin! Cut the entire tempeh cake and place the slices into a 9×12 shallow pan.

Marinade (recipe below)
1 cup Russian dressing (recipe below)
2 cups sauerkraut
8 slices hearty rye or pumpernickel bread
Daiya non-dairy swiss cheese shreds (optional)

Marinade for tempeh

1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Dash of black pepper
1 large bay leaf, crumbled
2 tablespoons maple syrup
pinch of cayenne
1 cup pickle juice (use it from the jar of pickles)
½ cup beet juice (blend up no-salt beets from a jar)
4 tablespoons tamari
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Instructions for Marinade: Place all ingredients in a sauce pan on medium high heat and bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Turn heat down to simmer for 10 minutes. Let cool and pour over sliced tempeh. Cover the pan and refrigerate overnight.

Russian Dressing

Makes 1 ½ cups

Ingredients

1 cup cashews
1/4 cup low or no-salt ketchup

1/4 teaspoon Organic Vegan Worcestershire sauce (regular Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies; your choice)
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon Italian parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons shallot, finely chopped
1 teaspoon horseradish

Instructions

Soak cashews in enough water to cover them for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Drain them and reserve water.
Put all ingredients into high-speed blender or processor with cashews.
Add the reserved cashew soaking water slowly while blending until you get a smooth, creamy (mayonnaise-like) consistency.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Build Your Sandwich

After tempeh has bathed nicely in the marinade, gently lift the slices out with a slotted fork. The next step is to grill them stove top or broil in the oven, 4 minutes on each side until the pieces are browned.

Remove from grill or oven and begin to build your sandwich. Lay out two slices of hearty rye or pumpernickel bread. Spread the Russian dressing liberally on one slice, then pile on the sauerkraut. (Option: lay your Daiya cheese on top and return to oven to warm). I don’t use packaged vegan cheese and our Reuben was delicious without it!

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