When I am craving a Vegan Reuben sandwich, I'm really craving the sauerkraut and Vegan Thousand Island Dressing! Although I love sauerkraut, why not add a little tempeh love? To make tempeh into "corned beef," I transform tempeh to tastes just like corned beef. To make the perfect Vegan Tempeh Reuben recipe, all you need is a quick and easy two-ingredient marinade!
To make the perfect vegan sandwich, it's all about the combination of ingredients and how the sandwich is put together. So, let's make a vegan Reuben make your taste buds dance.
HOW TO TRANSFORM TEMPEH INTO VEGAN CORNED BEEF FOR VEGAN REUBEN
One of the most common mistakes people make when preparing tempeh is skipping an essential step, boiling the tempeh. As a matter of fact, tempeh has a naturally bitter taste, but when boiled, the bitter taste vanishes. Not only does boiling tempeh make it taste better, but it also prepares it to soak up any marinade you decide to use.
BOIL THE TEMPEH FOR 10 MINUTES, THEN DRAIN AND COOL BEFORE HANDLING
THE MAGIC MARINADE FOR THE VEGAN TEMPEH REUBEN RECIPE
First, you need to master the taste of corned beef flavors to make the tempeh perfect. For example, the brining process and the salty, spiced, sour taste are the magic to the vegan tempeh Reuben.
Next, you have to find a vegan version of that brining process; I use a combination of pickle juice and beet juice. For the best results, I suggest marinating the tempeh overnight. Although pickle juice and beet juice may sound a little odd, it is the perfect combination to create a sweet and sour marinade.
Then, it's just a matter of grilling the tempeh to make the perfect vegan tempeh "corned beef" for the vegan tempeh Reuben.
HOW TO GRILL REUBEN TEMPEH FOR THE PERFECT VEGAN TEMPEH REUBEN
- Preheat the grill to 350 degrees
- Wait until the grill is hot.
- Remove tempeh from the marinade; throw away marinade; you won't need it again.
- Place the pieces of tempeh directly on the grill.
- Cook for 20 minutes, flipping every 5 minutes to achieve grill marks.
- Remove the tempeh from the grill.
- Slice the tempeh into thin strips
WHAT'S IN THE SECRET SAUCE FOR VEGAN TEMPEH REUBEN?
As with most great sandwiches, it's the secret sauce that makes a great sandwich. For this vegan tempeh recipe, I made a Vegan Thousand Island Dressing!
Actually, my Vegan French Dressing recipe transforms into Vegan Thousand Island Dressing with the addition of pickles!
WHAT'S IN SKINNY VEGAN THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING?
- 1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked overnight but not necessary)
- 1/2 cup organic ketchup
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons agave (you can sub maple syrup)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup of diced pickles(do not blend with other ingredients; set aside.
- DO NOT blend pickles when you make dressing; stir them in after blending.
VARIATION 1 AND 2: (IF YOU ARE ALLERGIC TO NUTS)
- Substitute 1/2 cup Vegenasie for nuts and reduce water to 1/4 cup or
- Substitute 1/2 cup silken tofu for nuts and use 1/2 cup water
INSTRUCTIONS
- Blend all ingredients except the pickles
- Dice the pickles and stir into the blended dressing
- Refrigerate until cool.
MAKING THE PERFECT TEMPEH REUBEN SANDWICH RECIPE IS EASY!
Once the tempeh is grilled, the secret sauce is made, and the sauerkraut is squeezed and drained, you are ready to build your sandwich.
- Toast the bread (of choice)
- Spread the Vegan Thousand Island Dressing on the base of the toasted bread
- Add slices of grilled Reuben tempeh.
- Top with a generous amount of sauerkraut
- Drizzle with more Vegan Thousand Island Dressing
- Top with the second piece of toasted bread
OTHER OPTIONS:
Another suggestion is to make a grilled wrap tempeh Reuben sandwich or serve the sandwich open-faced using only one bread piece.
If you avoid bread, turn your vegan tempeh Reuben wrap into a salad full of fresh vegetables, tempeh, and use the Vegan Thousand Island Dressing. Instead, use lettuce as your bread and create a lettuce wrap. Or, make a salad with the ingredients and skip the bread altogether. Either way, you will love the combination of flavors.
SANDWICH LOVER RECIPES YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS...
- Skinny Greek Wrap Sandwich
- Skinny Jackfruit Tuna Salad
- Vegan BBQ Pulled Sweet Potato Sandwiches with Pineapple Slaw
- Vegan Curry Chickpea Sandwich Spread
- Beet Burger
- Vegan Muffuletta Sandwich
- Tofu Banh Mi
- BBQ Tempeh
- BBQ Jackfruit Recipe
- Vegan Chicken Salad
- Chickpea Tuna Salad
Vegan Tempeh Reuben
Bite into a savory grilled Vegan Tempeh Reuben Wrap, or put the ingredients in a bowl of greens. Either way, you will LOVE the combination of flavors and dressing in this delicious sandwich.
Ingredients
SANDWICH
- Vegan bread of choice or Vegan Wraps (I used whole food (Indian Life Vegan Spinach Wrap)
- 8-ounce package of tempeh (I use Life-Like Organic Tempeh)
- 2 cups sauerkraut, drained and squeezed dry
TEMPEH MARINADE:
- 1/2 cup pickle juice (from a jar of dill pickles)
- 1/2 cup beet juice (from a can of beets; if you don't have canned beet juice, blend 1 large beet with pickle juice)
DRESSING Skinny Vegan Thousand Island Dressing
- 1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked overnight but not necessary)
- 1/2 cup organic ketchup
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons agave (you can sub maple syrup)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup of diced pickles(do not blend with other ingredients; set aside.
- DO NOT blend pickles when you make dressing; stir them in after blending
Variation 1 and 2: (If you are allergic to nuts)
- Substitute 1/2 cup Vegenasie for nuts and reduce water to 1/4 cup or
- Substitute 1/2 cup silken tofu for nuts and use 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Remove tempeh from packaging and slice in half.
- Place in a small saucepan and cover with water.
- Boil for 10 minutes.
- Drain
- Place tempeh in the base of a container with a top
- Place marinated tempeh in the refrigerator overnight.
COOKING TEMPEH: OPTIONS
GRILL OPTION
- Heat an outdoor grill to medium heat (350 degrees)
- Cook tempeh on both sides for 10 minutes each side, flipping every 5 minutes.
- Slice tempeh into thin slices after cooking
OVEN OPTION:
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
- Slice tempeh into thin slices
- Place tempeh on a baking pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, or use my favorite Copper Chef Crisper Pan.
- Bake for 30 minutes
DRESSING Vegan Thousand Island Dressing
- Blend all ingredients except the pickles
- Dice the pickles and stir into the blended dressing
- Refrigerate until cool.
SANDWICH
- Toast bread
- Spread base of bread with Vegan Thousand Island Dressing.
- Add slices of tempeh Reuben meat.
- Add sauerkraut (make sure you squeezed it dry) in the middle on top of the tomatoes.
- I served with The Perfect Crispy Air-Fried Steak Fries.
Notes
Grilled tempeh can be made ahead of time and reheated when preparing the Reuben sandwich.
OTHER OPTIONS:
- Make a wrap instead of a sandwich.
- Use lettuce instead of bread for a lettuce wrap vegan tempeh Reuben.
- Skip the bread and make a salad using the sandwich's ingredients on a bed of lettuce and other sand ingredients, topped with thousand island dressing.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4 servingsServing Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 421Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 2mgSodium 498mgCarbohydrates 44gFiber 7gSugar 22gProtein 25g
Nutrition facts may not be 100% accurate.
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
JoAnn M Lakes
I buy my beet juice from Trader Joe'a in the refrigerated juice section. I then freeze into ice cubes for recipes. Ingredients: beet juice and lemon juice from concentrate
Kathy Carmichael
Hi JoAnn, thanks for the tip. That is a great idea.
marge
Hi, I'd really like to try this but am wondering why it has to be canned beat juice? Can I just juice a beet with my juicer and use that?
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Marge, I had beet juice I saved from a can of beets, so I used it for the recipe instead of throwing it away. you can use fresh beet juice. I hope you enjoy the recipe.
marge
Great, thank you for letting me know! Excited to try this weekend.
Jennifer Spinks
🙌🏼 Husband approved... he said it’s restaurant worthy! Thanks so much 💗
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Jennifer, thank you so much for the feedback. Whenever my husband likes a recipe, it's a win! Look for this week's seitan Reuben recipe for St. Patrick's Day 🙂 I'm making a hot Reuben dip too!