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
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Everything Else
- 4 slices Alvarado’s Sprouted Rye Seed Bread
- 1/2 heaping cup Sauerkraut
- 1/4 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
Samantha says
Im vegan but never liked sauerkraut, my parents are NOT vegan but LOVE sauerkraut, but i just MIGHT have to try this and i might do it next time im in Michigan visiting my parents and make this for them! Scratch that…..i think im going to head to Sprouts to get some tempeh and make this now tho….i think my husband will love it! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Cap'n Dave says
Try sautéeing the sauerkraut – it totally changes the flavor, making it more mellow and sweeter. You can also get Bavarian sauerkraut – it has caraway seeds in it and is already sweeter. You can also add white wine to it to make weinkraut. Failing that, there’s always pickled red cabbage – no -traditional in a Reuben, but good stuff that would meld nicely with the tempeh “pastrami” and the Swiss cheese.
Tiana says
I’m not vegan or vegetarian (formerly, though), and I happen to love Tempeh. I found this because I wanted a quick vegetarian lunch with items I had on hand. I made a quick homemade russian dressing (with lots of relish), then cooked the tempeh without marinading it in some Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, maple syrup, Sriracha, and water. Then I added sliced onions to the pan. I topped some toast with lots of the dressing, tempeh, onions, homemade kraut, then more dressing. It was so good! Thanks for inspiration .
c says
I am recently a vegetarian. I want to like tempeh soooooo much but no matter how I marinate or slice it it makes me gag. Other than that the recipe is delicious.
Sarah McMinn says
Feel free to try this recipe with tofu or eggplant instead.
Carole Gregory says
Totally loved this!
Amanda says
Easy and delicious!!! This tasted like such a treat, I couldn’t believe I was eating TEMPEH!! I find it really difficult to find easy recipes that I enjoy. This will definitely go in the rotation.
Fallon C. says
OMG ?..I just finished eating this sandwich and it was delicious ?. I’ve got 4 more packs of tempeh in the freezer so I will be making more sandwiches. For my Thousand Island I just used ketchup, relish and mayo, still hit the spot. I usually visit a restaurant that makes these but with the COVID-19 quarantine they are closed. I have 2 more pieces of marinated tempeh so I will definitely be having this for dinner too!!! One thing I miss being vegan is that I don’t get to make sandwiches as easily as I used to. Thank you for the recipe, definitely adding to the rotation.
Dr. J says
When I was only 17, some 40 years ago, I washed dishes in a coffee shop. I ate my first reuben there, and ever since it’s been my favorite sandwich. I haven’t had one since I became a vegan, so when I found your tempeh reuben I knew I had to make it immediately.
I was not disappointed. No, the tempeh won’t fool anyone into thinking it’s corned beef, but the flavors are all there, and the texture is so, so satisfying. Your Russian dressing is spot-on and totally brought the sandwich together. Trust me, this sandwich is going to be a regular weekend treat in our home.
Taylor says
I think this sandwich is a pretty good alternative to a Rueben sandwich made with corned beef. I loved Rubens, and now I am obsessed with this sandwich. I sometimes add thin marinated beet or carrot slices and instead of vegan Swiss cheese (I can’t find one I like to keep on hand) I often use vegan cream cheese (since I always have that on hand).
The tempeh marinade is my go to for all things needing seasoned tempeh.
Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Rose says
This was really very good and my first time using tempeh. Even my husband liked it and he’s rather picky when it comes to vegan food. The Russian dressing was the best, even used it for baked ff I made. ??
Emma says
This recipe is amazing! My mom (who isn’t vegetarian) loves Reubens, and this met her high standards. The Russian dressing is especially delicious. We only used one slice of tempeh for each sandwich and found that to be plenty. We couldn’t find any vegan Swiss cheese, but the store brand vegan smoked provolone from Whole Foods was a great substitute (but not necessary – the sandwich has tons of flavor without it). We also used Dave’s Killer Bread because we couldn’t find any rye – it was great!
Nina says
This is perfect- thank you!! My love for Tempah Reuben also started a restaurant in West Michigan (New Holland Brewing).
Sarah says
Nice! Next time I’m in Michigan, I’ll have to try that one.
Carmen says
I have a strange question..this looks amazing but I’ve heard that it is a good idea to steam tempeh first and then marinate, preferably overnight. This looks so good…
Sarah says
Often people will do this because it allows the marinade to soak in better to the tempeh. For this recipe I don’t find that it’s a necessary step because of the way it is cooked but you certainly could do that if you wanted.
Butts says
Oryana’s in Traverse City has a great tempeh Ruben.
Melissa says
So sorry! I should’ve read the other comments first! Love Marie Catrib’s!
Melissa says
I live in West Michigan and now I need the name of that restaurant so I can check it out! ?
Melanie Dickerson says
I can’t wait to try this! Looks delicious! BTW, was it Brick road Pizza? Or Marie Catrib’s?? Maybe Gaia? I don’t think Bartertown was around at that time. (It’s gone now?). Yes, GR is growing more and more fabulous for us vegans?
Sarah says
I worked at Marie Catrib’s. But I love all those places. Do you live in GR?
Bethany says
So sad they’re closing this month! I immediately knew you were talking about this place <3
Sarah says
I know! I wish I could go back before they close but it’s not possible.
Marian L Bush says
I live in South Haven, MI, and would love to know the name of the vegan restaurant you referred to, if it is still open. Being new to vegan eating I am looking for recommendations.
Sarah says
Marie Catrib’s. Make sure to check it out!
Melanie Dickerson says
So many great choices in GR! Marie Catrib’s is amazing! Also, Brick road Pizza is well worth the drive for some great vegan comfort food! Also Two -Beards Deli and Cherry Street deli are fabulous! Mitten Brewery, Rocket Pies and Johnny B’s too! Furniture City Creamery, Spoonlickers and Frosty Boy have great ice cream! Vegangr.com is a great resource.