Vegan Reuben Sandwiches

June 21, 2019

#food #yummy

The classic Reuben sandwich goes vegan! Made with layers of hearty seitan, tangy sauerkraut and creamy vegan Russian dressing, these sandwiches are packed with flavor and grilled to crispy delicious perfection.

My husband was in the middle of transitioning to a vegetarian diet when I first met him, and he was really excited about my cooking. He made lots of suggestions for meatless versions of old favorites, and lots of them were dishes that I’d never actually had. One of his first requests was for a Reuben sandwich.

I’ve never had a conventional Reuben, so I relied on my husband’s guidance for this one. He tells me it’s pretty spot on. To this day it’s a household favorite!

Using Seitan in a Reuben

Not only have I never had a reuben, but I’ve never even had corned beef, which is the main ingredient in a conventional Reuben. Seitan is the most realistic beef substitute I know of, which is why I use it in my reuben sandwiches.

Seitan is also super easy to work with and loaded with protein.

I’ve made these sandwiches using my homemade seitan, as well as store-bought. Both work great! The advantage of making your own is that you make it in large chunks and then slice them super thin. If you prefer to use the store-bought stuff, just use a chef’s knife to cut your seitan into strips that are as thin as possible.

How to Make a Vegan Reuben

Start by prepping your sauces. You’ll be dressing your Reubens in vegan thousand Island dressing made from vegan mayo, ketchup, vegan Worcestershire sauce, horseradish mustard and hot sauce.

The other sauce you’ll need to make is for seasoning your seitan. For this, mix together some soy sauce, vegan Worcestershire, maple syrup, ginger, allspice, cloves and black pepper. You’ll want this to be ready to go before you begin cooking the seitan.

To prepare your seitan Reuben filling, start by sautéing some onion in a bit of oil. Let the onion brown slightly, then add some garlic. Once the garlic becomes very fragrant (after about a minute) add your seitan. Cook the seitan for a few minutes to get it to crisp up. And finally, add your sauce.

Let the seitan cook for a minute or so more, until most of the sauce dries up. Your filling is done!

Grill up your sandwiches using rye bread slices slathered in vegan butter. Layer your seitan filling, dressing, some sauerkraut, and optionally a slice of vegan cheese and some dill pickle slices between the bread and grill to crispy golden perfection.

FAQ & Tips for Making Awesome Vegan Reuben Sandwiches

What kind of vegan cheese do you recommend for this recipe? Reubens are traditionally made using Swiss cheese. Daiya makes a vegan Swiss, but my supermarket doesn’t carry it and I’ve never tried it. The sandwich you see in the photos was made using Follow Your Heart smoked gouda.
Not into vegan cheese? Leave it out or substitute avocado slices!
Where can I get red sauerkraut like I see in your photos? I actually made it myself using red cabbage and this recipe.
Doesn’t Worcestershire sauce contain anchovies? Most brands do, but Annie’s and Edward & Sons brands are both vegan.
These sandwiches are pretty indulgent. Want to lower the fat/calorie content? Use less oil and cut back on the dressing. You could also substitute mustard for the dressing. Want to lower the sodium content? Cut back on the soy sauce (or use a low sodium variety), and/or the sauerkraut.

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