There are sandwiches that are good. And then there are sandwiches like this Vegan Reuben — the kind that arrives at the table stacked impossibly high, pressed and griddled until the rye bread is golden and crackling at the edges, with the tangy sauerkraut and the melted vegan Swiss and the savory, smoky tempeh or beet filling and the sharp, creamy Thousand Island dressing all compressed into a single layered structure that, when you press your hand down on it and feel everything yield together, produces the specific and unrepeatable satisfaction that only a truly great deli sandwich can deliver. This is that sandwich. The one that tastes so precisely like the best Reuben you have ever eaten at the best deli you have ever visited that you find yourself genuinely surprised, for a moment, that it is completely plant-based. The one that is messy and generous and deeply layered and pressed so that the cheese melts into the sauerkraut and the dressing seeps into the bread and the whole thing becomes more than the sum of its extraordinary parts. The one that proves, beyond any reasonable doubt, that the plant-based kitchen is fully capable of honoring the great tradition of the American deli sandwich — not by imitating it timidly, but by meeting it on its own terms and delivering something that is at once faithful to the original and entirely its own.
This recipe layers thin-sliced smoky tempeh — marinated in a brine of soy sauce, liquid smoke, apple cider vinegar, and spices that gives it the salty, tangy, savory qualities of traditional Reuben corned beef — with properly tangy prepared sauerkraut, a generous layer of melted vegan Swiss cheese, a sharp and creamy homemade vegan Thousand Island dressing, and everything between two thick slices of dark rye bread that are buttered on the outside with vegan butter and pressed in a hot skillet until deeply golden, crackling, and almost caramelized. The result is a sandwich that delivers on every element of the classic Reuben experience — the salt, the tang, the richness, the warm melt — with a depth and complexity that belongs entirely to its own ingredients.
What makes this recipe so outstanding is the tempeh marinating technique — sliced thin and simmered briefly in a savory-acidic brine before pan-frying until crispy at the edges, the tempeh develops a flavor profile that is simultaneously salty, tangy, and smoky in a way that feels right at home stacked into a Reuben, and a texture that is meaty and satisfying without being dense.
This recipe is 100% vegan, naturally dairy-free, ready in about 30 minutes, and produces a vegan Reuben sandwich so authentically deli-flavored, so generously stacked, and so deeply satisfying that it becomes the standard by which all other homemade sandwiches in your kitchen are measured.
Recipe Information
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Total Time | Servings | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 mins | 20 mins | 35 mins | 2 | ~540 kcal |
Ingredients
For the Smoky Tempeh Filling
- 225g (8oz) tempeh, sliced as thinly as possible (about 3mm)
- 2 cups (480ml) water
- 3 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp neutral oil, for frying
For the Vegan Thousand Island Dressing
- 4 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp sweet pickle relish
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- Pinch of salt and black pepper
For Assembly
- 4 thick slices of dark rye bread or marble rye bread
- 1½ cups (about 200g) good-quality sauerkraut, drained and lightly squeezed
- 4 slices vegan Swiss-style cheese (or any vegan sliced cheese that melts well)
- 2–3 tbsp vegan butter, softened, for spreading
Instructions
- Simmer the tempeh. Place the thinly sliced tempeh in a wide skillet or saucepan. Cover with the water and add the soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, liquid smoke, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, turning the slices halfway, until the tempeh has absorbed the brine and the liquid has reduced significantly. The tempeh should be deeply colored and fragrant. Remove the tempeh slices and pat lightly dry with a paper towel.
- Pan-fry the tempeh. Heat the neutral oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the simmered tempeh slices in a single layer. Cook for 2–3 minutes per side until the edges are crispy and the surfaces are caramelized and deeply golden. Set aside, keeping warm.
- Make the Thousand Island dressing. Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth and combined. Taste and adjust — it should be tangy, slightly sweet, and rich. Refrigerate until needed.
- Drain the sauerkraut. Place the sauerkraut in a fine mesh sieve and press firmly with the back of a spoon to remove as much liquid as possible. Excess liquid from the sauerkraut will make the sandwich soggy. Set aside.
- Assemble the sandwiches. Lay all four slices of rye bread on a work surface. Spread a generous amount of Thousand Island dressing on the inside face of each slice — be generous, as the dressing is the backbone of the sandwich’s flavor. On two of the slices (the bottom halves), layer the smoky tempeh slices, then the squeezed sauerkraut, then the vegan cheese slices. Close the sandwiches with the remaining dressing-spread slices, pressing down firmly.
- Butter and press. Spread the softened vegan butter on both outer faces of each assembled sandwich — the faces that will touch the skillet.
- Grill the sandwiches. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Place the assembled sandwiches in the skillet. Cook for 3–4 minutes on the first side, pressing down firmly with a spatula or a heavy pan (the weight helps the cheese melt and the bread toast evenly), until the bread is deep golden and crackling. Carefully flip and cook for a further 3–4 minutes on the second side until equally golden and the cheese inside has fully melted. If the bread is browning faster than the cheese is melting, reduce the heat slightly and cover the pan with a lid for 1–2 minutes.
- Slice and serve. Remove from the pan and allow to rest for 1 minute. Slice diagonally from corner to corner — the diagonal cut is non-negotiable for a proper deli presentation and also produces the most satisfying cross-section of layers. Serve immediately with extra Thousand Island dressing for dipping, a pickle spear, and potato chips or coleslaw alongside.
Pro Tips
- Simmer the tempeh first — the simmering step is not optional. It accomplishes two things simultaneously: it drives off the natural bitterness that raw tempeh can carry, and it opens the tempeh’s structure so that the brine penetrates deeply rather than only coating the surface. Tempeh skipped directly to frying will taste flat and slightly bitter by comparison.
- Slice the tempeh as thin as you can — thin slices stack compactly, absorb the brine better, and fry to a crispier edge than thick slices. Use your sharpest knife and take your time. Slices between 3–5mm are ideal.
- Squeeze the sauerkraut very well — excess moisture is the enemy of a great pressed sandwich. Sauerkraut that is not properly drained will make the bread soggy and the sandwich fall apart. Press it firmly in a sieve until no more liquid drips out.
- Use a weight when grilling — pressing the sandwich in the skillet with a heavy pan or a cast iron weight is what produces the deli-style compression that melds the layers, melts the cheese uniformly, and creates the deeply golden, slightly crackling crust that defines a great grilled sandwich.
- Serve immediately — this sandwich is at its absolute peak the moment it comes off the griddle, while the bread is still crackling and the cheese is freshly melted. It softens quickly as it sits.
The Reuben: An American Deli Classic
The Reuben sandwich is one of the most beloved and most debated sandwiches in American culinary history, with at least two competing origin stories that have been argued over by food historians for decades. The most widely cited version attributes its creation to Reuben Kulakofsky, a grocer in Omaha, Nebraska, who purportedly invented it in the 1920s as a late-night snack for a poker game held at the Blackstone Hotel — a claim backed by the hotel’s subsequent entry of the sandwich in a national sandwich competition in 1956, which it won. A competing story credits Arnold Reuben, the owner of Reuben’s Restaurant and Delicatessen in New York City, with creating a similar sandwich in the early twentieth century. What is not disputed is the sandwich’s composition — corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, Thousand Island dressing, and dark rye bread, grilled and pressed until everything melds into a single, inseparable unit — or the fact that it became one of the defining dishes of the American deli tradition, a permanent fixture on deli menus across the country and a standard against which the quality of any deli is often judged. The plant-based version honors the same composition and the same principles: every element present, every flavor hitting its mark, the whole greater than the sum of its parts.
Flavor Variations
- Beet and Walnut Reuben: Replace the tempeh with thick slices of roasted beet and a walnut-lentil mixture seasoned with the same brine spices for a different, equally satisfying Reuben filling with a beautiful color.
- Jackfruit Reuben: Replace the tempeh with young green jackfruit, pulled and seasoned with the same brine and pan-fried until caramelized, for a shredded, pulled-filling version with a softer texture.
- Mushroom Reuben: Replace the tempeh with thick-sliced king oyster mushrooms, simmered in the brine and pan-fried until golden for a meaty, satisfying alternative with a clean mushroom flavor.
Nutritional Highlights (Per Sandwich)
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fiber | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ~540 kcal | 26g | 48g | 8g | 26g |
Storage
- Best eaten immediately — a Reuben is a sandwich that belongs fresh off the griddle. The bread softens quickly once pressed and the components lose their textural contrast within an hour.
- Components separately: The cooked tempeh keeps in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days and reheats beautifully in a hot skillet. The Thousand Island dressing keeps refrigerated for up to 1 week. Assemble and grill to order for the best result.
- Meal prep: The tempeh can be simmered and fried in advance and refrigerated — reheat quickly in a skillet before assembling and grilling the sandwich for a weeknight dinner that comes together in under 10 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What vegan cheese melts best for a Reuben?
For the meltiest result, look for vegan Swiss-style slices — brands such as Violife, Follow Your Heart, and Chao all produce sliced vegan cheeses that melt well when given enough time and heat. If your chosen cheese is not melting fast enough, cover the pan with a lid for 1–2 minutes to trap steam and encourage melting, or use a sandwich press.
Can I use seitan instead of tempeh?
Yes — thinly sliced seitan works excellently as a Reuben filling and produces a texture that is perhaps even closer to traditional corned beef than tempeh. Use the same brine and simmering technique. Pre-made deli-style seitan slices (available in many natural food stores) can be used directly, seasoned with the brine flavors and quickly pan-fried.
Where do I find dark rye bread?
Dark rye bread or marble rye is available in most well-stocked supermarkets, in European-style bakeries, and in Jewish delis and specialty food stores. If unavailable, a dense, seeded sourdough or pumpernickel makes a fine substitute — the essential quality is a sturdy, dense bread that can hold the filling without becoming soggy.
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