You're going to love this Vegan Tempeh Reuben! It is made with marinated and grilled tempeh, homemade Russian Dressing, and seeded rye bread for a saucy and delicious classic vegan sandwich.
Many years ago, a lifetime really, I worked as a server at a popular family-run restaurant in western Michigan. This was the early 2000s, in a small town, in the midwest. Eating vegan at that time was not quite the same it is now, 15 years later, in Portland, Oregon.
In the early 2000s, however, this restaurant was a vegan/vegetarian hub because it was one of the only places in town that, no matter your dietary preferences, had you covered. From breakfast to desserts, and everything in between, they made a great effort in offering incredible vegan options. I worked at this restaurant for many years, eating everything off the vegan menu many times over. Hands down, my favorite AND the best sandwich I'd ever had was the vegan tofu Reuben. When I left Michigan to come to Oregon, leaving that incredible restaurant behind, I put "remake the vegan Reuben" on the top of my to-do list.
And folks, I did just that.
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How to Make Tempeh Reuben [Video]
Recommended Ingredients & Equipment
This vegan sandwich is a combination of smoky tempeh, homemade vegan Russian dressing, and zesty sauerkraut. It's a family and fan favorite and if you haven't tried it yet, I think you should!
Here is everything you need.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Tempeh - Tempeh is my favorite meat substitute for a vegan Reuben. It’s thick, chewy, with a delightful nutty texture. If you don’t like tempeh, try swapping it out for tofu or grilled eggplant for other variations of this delicious vegan sandwich.
- Vegetable Broth
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Vegan Worcestershire Sauce - Not all Worcestershire sauce is vegan. Most varieties use anchovies. Look for one marked vegan.
- Liquid Smoke - This gives the tempeh a delicious smokiness. Find liquid smoke in the condiment aisle of most well-stocked grocery stores. If you can’t find it, it can be omitted.
- Spices - You will need a blend of onion powder, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
- Rye Bread - My bread of choice is Sprouted Rye Bread from Alvarado St. Bakery
- Sauerkraut
- Vegan Russian Dressing - This dressing is key to making the perfect tempeh Reuben sandwich. You will need vegan mayonnaise, ketchup, white onion, prepared horseradish, hot sauce, vegan Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper.
- Vegan Swiss Cheese (optional) - If you want to add Swiss Cheese you can either make your own or look for a store bought variety. Daiya carries a swiss cheese that I recommend.
- Oil - Any neutral flavored high heat oil will do. I recommend avocado or coconut.
- Vegan Butter - Use any non-hydrogenated vegan butter or margarine.
Recommended Equipment
For this recipe you will need a large shallow dish for marinating the tempeh, a large skillet, a chef’s knife, cutting board, and basic kitchen utensils. (<<affiliate links)
Check out the full list of my recommended kitchen tools and gadgets.
Best Bread for Tempeh Reuben
My go-to bread for this sandwich comes from Alvarado St. Bakery Co-op.
For this vegan Tempeh Reuben, I used Alvarado's Sprouted Rye Seed Bread which is a vegan, flour-less bread made with sprouted organic whole wheat berries and cultured wheat and filled with all kinds of seeds for a hearty, healthy, delicious rye bread that is easier on the planet AND easier on the body.
All of Alvarado Street Bakery Co-Op's products are made from sprouted grain. What's that, you might ask. Sprouted grain is grain that is harvested before the shoots from the seed turn into full-fledged plants. By harvesting them young, you get a grain that is lower in starch, allowing for higher proportions of other, more beneficial nutrients like protein, vitamins, and minerals.
How to Make Vegan Rueben Sandwich
Step One - Prepare the Tempeh
Cut tempeh in half lengthwise and then cut it through the middle for 4 thin slices. Set aside
Combine the ingredients for the tempeh marinade in a shallow dish. Add tempeh, ensuring that it is fully submerged, and marinate for at least 30 minutes. Feel free to marinate this for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
Once the tempeh has marinated, heat olive oil in a large skillet placed over medium heat. Add tempeh and cook for about 5 minutes per side, until dark brown. Once both sides are browned, add reserved marinade and let it cook-off in the skillet. This allows the flavors to seep into the tempeh deeper.
Step Two - Make the Russian Dressing
In a small bowl, whisk all the ingredients for the Russian dressing together until well combined and smooth.
Step Three - Assemble the Vegan Sandwich
Butter 4 slices of Sprouted Rye Seed Bread. Place them on a skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes, until lightly toasted.
Flip the bread and on the uncooked side, add the Russian dressing to all 4 slices. Divide the sauerkraut between two slices, top with 2 pieces cooked tempeh, each, and a slice of vegan swiss, if using. Top with the second slice of bread and cook on each side for about 5 minutes, until bread is browned and everything is cooked all the way through.
Serving and Storing
Serving - Serve immediately with Creamy Tomato Soup or a large Caesar Salad.
Storing - Store leftover tempeh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Store leftover Russian Dressing in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
More Vegan Sandwich Recipes
- Classic BLT
- Tofu Banh Mi
- 10-Minute Vegan Sloppy Joes
- Gourmet Vegan Grilled Cheese
- Vegan Philly Cheesesteak
- BBQ “Pulled Pork” Sandwich
Tempeh Reuben
Ingredients
Marinated Tempeh
- 8 ounces 1 package tempeh
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Everything Else
- 4 slices Alvarado's Sprouted Rye Seed Bread
- ½ heaping cup Sauerkraut
- ¼ cup vegan Russian Dressing
- vegan swiss cheese optional
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
Instructions
- Cut tempeh in half lengthwise and then cut it through the middle for 4 thin slices.
- Combine the ingredients for the tempeh marinade in a shallow dish. Add tempeh and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons oil. Add tempeh and cook for about 5 minutes per side, until dark brown. Once both sides are browned, add reserved marinade and let it cook-off in the skillet. This allows the flavors to seep into the tempeh deeper.
- Butter 4 slices of Sprouted Rye Seed Bread. Place on the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes, until lightly brown. Flip bread. On the cooked side, add Russian dressing to all slices of bread. Divide the sauerkraut between two slices, top with 2 pieces cooked tempeh, each, and a slice of vegan swiss, if using. Add the second slice of bread and cook on each side for about 5 minutes, until bread is browned and everything is cooked all the way through.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Leana says
Thanks for this tasty way to use tempeh and get both my protein in and a good dose of healthy fermented goodness! I particularly love the Russian Dressing and how the horseradish gives a good kick of flavour. I am still getting used to using tempeh and realise how important the marinade (or prep by simmering) is, and this marinade was quite nice. I do wish I had liquid smoke though. I think it's a bit hard to find in the UK, but hopefully I can find some and I'll try it next time with that!
Pickles on the side of the reuben also were a perfect addition, by the way 🙂
Leana says
**Oh, I also forgot to say that I added some caramelised onions into the sauerkraut because I had no onion powder for the marinade. I'm glad I did, too! I recommend it 🙂
LindseyLoo says
I just made this tonight for dinner and it was AMAZEBALLS (do people say that anymore?) I've never cooked with tempeh before, and this recipe was a perfect place to start! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Sarah says
So glad you thought it was AMAZEBALLS! Thanks for sharing!
JhuCin Jhang says
where can I buy tempeh?
Sarah says
It depends where you live, but you should find it in most well-stocked grocery stores throughout the US. It's in the refrigerated section next to the tofu.
Richelle Smith says
My first use of tempeh 🙂 reubens are one of my favorite sandwiches so when I saw this, I had to try. It definitely hit the spot. I couldn’t find plain horseradish at my grocery but the sauce was still great. I wish I could’ve found vegan Swiss but I had some mild vegan white slices that worked 🙂 certainly greasy and sloppy like a Reuben but what else would you expect?! Thanks for the recipe!
Sarah says
So glad you liked it!
Toni says
This is probably a dumb question but I'm assuming you put the buttered side down and cook it and then when you flip it you're going to be cooking that side too. It says to put the dressing on the uncooked side but at this point both sides would be cooked. I know I'm just missing something.
Sondra says
I was wondering the same thing. How can you put the sauce on the uncooked side after flipping?
Anita says
It’s not a dumb question, the instructions are unclear...
Chad Anderson says
This is a great recipe and I love vegan Reubens! I tried adding two tblsp of miso and two tablespoons more or less of nutritional yeast to the fry sauce. Also added some turmeric and cumin for kick. One helluva vegan sandwich resulted, with all the melts cheesy flavor of Swiss. None of the hassells of moulded vegan cheese. 🙂 enjoy!
Aimee says
This was AMAZING! One of the best recipes I have made since we went vegan six months ago, per my husband, who claimed to hate reubens before trying this. Thank you!
Sarah says
I'm so glad it was a hit. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Kimberly Bell says
My 13yr old son voted this a 9 1/2 out of 10! Spectacular sandwich! Thank you
Sarah says
Thanks you!
Billy says
Your pictures are making it so hard to focus on anything but this reuben! I love reubens and this honestly looks like a great substitute for meat! Thank you for sharing this recipe, definitely trying this the next time I pick up some tempeh.
Sarah says
I'm glad to offer a distraction 🙂 Enjoy!
Nicole says
I wish we had places like that here so we could get delicious, healthy, bread like that! Thank you for the recipes! It's wonderful to have other vegans sharing their passions!
Sarah says
You could order Alvarado's bread online if you wanna give it a try. Follow this link to see all their products: https://www.alvaradostreetbakery.com/products
Linda from Veganosity says
Oooohhhhh, I love a good vegan Reuben and this looks delicious! Thanks!
Dianne says
This sandwich looks AMAZING! It puts all other sandwiches to shame!
Sarah says
Ha! Thanks Dianne!
Sophia | Veggies Don't Bite says
Holy moly that looks good! I love anything with sauce, and I also love Alvarado Str Bakery! Great sandwich!
Sarah says
Thanks Sophia! I agree, Alvarado St. Bakery is great!
Strength and Sunshine says
I am just in love with your vegan russian dressing! So good!
Sarah says
Thanks!
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day says
I've heard this bread is amazing, but sadly I don't do well with gluten. However, I'm looking forward to trying this reuben on some GF vegan bread! That dressing has me drooling.
Lisa says
This. Looks. Amazing.
Your tofu reuben has been a regular... want to try out this version.
Thanks. Your opening photo is remarkable.
Sarah says
Thanks! I'm glad you're still enjoying the reuben after all these years.