Chances are, unless you’re a vegan food nerd who loves spelunking into the deepest depths of plant-based recipes, you probably aren’t giving tempeh all that much thought, right? The notion of a vegan reuben recipe might not excite your tastebuds if you’ve never had a proper introduction to the ingredient itself.
Firstly, let me say this: I get it – I had a similar sentiment about tempeh a couple years ago! So I know now that, whenever I make anything tempeh-related, it helps to begin with a disclaimer about the tempeh because – let’s face it – it isn’t the most attractive looking ingredient in the world. But don’t be fooled: it is easy to underestimate. I bet that if you do decide to give this vegan reuben recipe a try, you’re going to be a steadfast, true-blue tempeh convert afterwards.
How To Tame the Tempeh?
That is the question..
Speaking from personal experience, one of the best thing you can do for tempeh is to marinate it in some strong, pungent liquid and then pan fry it.
Not only will this let the tempeh be the vessel for big flavors in this vegan reuben recipe, but it will also allow you to get a nice char on the outside of it, thus ameliorating the texture, which can otherwise be rather dense and odd. So it stands to reason that the marinade for this recipe is.. (drumroll).. pickled beet juice!
Okay, I know it sounds weird, but that’s because it is! And that’s also why it’s so great. The pickled beet juice will give the tempeh a lovely spike of vinegary sweetness, while at the same time staining the soy protein a deep red – the signature corned beef color that is so iconic on the inside of the reuben sandwich. The best tempeh to use for this recipe is undoubtedly Litelife’s Original Tempeh!
Naturally, a prerequisite for this vegan reuben recipe is to pickle some beets first. I wrote a recipe earlier this month for a fantastic pickled beet with cinnamon that you ought to consider using for this reuben; the cinnamon in the pickling liquid pairs really well with the additional flavors (dijon, peppercorn, and clove) that go into the tempeh marinade.
Slaw is Boss
Traditionally, you’d have sauerkraut on a reuben, but, since I’m already using pickled beets, I figured that it would be better to have something non-fermented on the inside of this vegan reuben recipe; that way, the sandwich won’t get bogged down by too much overt sourness.
The solution? A good, quick cabbage coleslaw does the trick. It retains the core ingredient from sauerkraut, cabbage, except fresher and more texturally satisfying.
Coleslaw one of the best things to add creaminess, freshness, and crunchiness to any sandwich or dish, so it just made sense to put it on this sandwich.
Plus, it’s easy as hell to make. It’s just finely shredded cabbage, mayo, seasoned rice wine vinegar, salt and pepper.
Assembling the Vegan Reuben
First of all, you’re going to want to use a really good bread for this recipe – one that toasts up nicely and has a definitive flavor to it. I would heartily recommend a loaf of Jewish rye flecked with caraway seeds, which has a great sharpness that compliments the rest of the reuben ingredients nicely.
Toast the rye bread, slather with thousand island dressing (vegan mayo, ketchup, pickles), put some pickled tempeh on there as well as a piece of white vegan cheese (Follow Your Heart or Chao makes a good one), then the cabbage coleslaw, and finally then a pickled beet or two.
Et voilà – A Pickled Tempeh Reuben sandwich ready to eat.
An Involved Vegan Reuben Recipe, but a Good One
This vegan reuben recipe can seem quite complicated and eccentric at first, as there are many moving parts and different elements. However, it’s not as difficult as it appears – most of the recipe is simply time-consuming as opposed to technically challenging, i.e. marinading the tempeh, boiling the beets, ect.
If you’re a fan of Ruebens or tempeh or pickled beets, you’re going to love this.
Thank you for stopping by to look at this vegan reuben recipe – I really do appreciate you! If you think this recipe is for you, or if you found it delicious and interesting, please leave a comment and recipe rating before you go.
Pickled Tempeh Reuben
Ingredients
For the pickled tempeh
- 1 (8-ouce) package of tempeh, thinly cut into ¼-inch thick strips
- ½ cup pickled beets pickling liquid, (recipe below) or https://thatvegannephew.com/best-pickled-beets-recipe-with-cinnamon/
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 10 – 12 black peppercorns
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
For the cabbage slaw
- ¼ head of cabbage, (about 2-ish cups) thinly shredded
- 2 tablespoons vegan mayo, like veganaise
- 1 teaspoon seasoned rice wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the thousand islands dressing
- 1 ½ – 2 tablespoons vegan mayo
- 2 – 3 teaspoons ketchup
- 3 – 4 dill pickles, finely chopped
For the pickled tempeh rueben
- Jewish Rye Bread, with caraway seeds is recommended
- Piece of white vegan cheese, like swiss or provolone
Instructions
For the pickled beets
- Prepare the pickled beets (recipe below)
For pickled beet tempeh
- Cut the tempeh into ¼-inch thin strips, and then marinate it in the pickled beet juice along with the mustard, peppercorns, and ground cloves. The longer the better, but leave in the marinade for at least an hour, agitating often.
- When you have the other elements ready, in a skillet over medium heat with a bit of olive oil, pan fry the tempeh for 2 minutes or so on each side, until just slightly charred and crispy.
For the coleslaw
- Finely shred some cabbage, and then add it along with the other coleslaw ingredients to a bowl. Mix well, and then store in the fridge until you're ready to use it.
For the thousand island dressing
- Combine the mayo, ketchup and pickles in a small bowl, then set aside until you're ready to use.
Assemble the sandwich
- On jewish rye bread, slather on some thousand island dressing, then coleslaw and pickled tempeh strips, followed by white vegan cheese and some pickled beets.
Video
Nutrition
The Best Pickled Beets
Equipment
- Large pot
Ingredients
- 3 – 4 medium beets
- 1 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ – ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, (¼ – ½ depending on your personal preference)
- Dash of ground black pepper
Instructions
- Remove the beet greens, but keep the stem on about ½-inch from the top of the beet. Cover the beets with water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a steady simmer (about medium-high heat). Boil the beets for about 30 minutes, until a fork can be inserted into them without too much hassle.
- Remove the beets from the pot. Under cold running water, remove the outside layer of skin to reveal the fleshy, soft magenta skin underneath.
- Cut off the tail and upper stem from the beet, and then cut the beets in half. Cut each half cross-wise into half moons.
- Marinade the beets in the pickling liquid of rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, cinnamon and a little bit of pepper. Also, note that you can dilute the pickling liquid with a couple tablespoons of water for a less concentrated version if the vinegar is too strong a taste for you.Store the pickled beets in a closed container in the fridge – good for about two to three weeks.
Video
Nutrition
If you’re looking for more tempeh recipes, check out my page, Everything Tempeh, for more!
May you have good food in good company,
That Vegan Nephew
On our personal vegan scale of deliciousness where a carrot bacon, lettuce, tomato, and avocado sandwich is a 9.75, this sandwich is just as good. We love the sweet and sour beets, the creamy, crunchy slaw, and the tempeh full of flavors. Since I am gluten free, I had mine folded inside a corn tortilla and it was marvelous.
High praise! Thank you 🙂
This recipe sounds good, not a lover of tempeh..sounds delicious with the beetroot I’ll be trying your recipe 👍🏼
I just used canned pickled beets from the store instead of making them myself, and this was delicious!!!!!
Sensational idea ! Much simpler that way, too. Thanks, Jacob!