Vegetarian Reuben Sandwich Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

Carrie

I’ve been making these for decades, and I love them! I add a touch of horseradish to the sauce to give it some kick, and the sauce goes on at the end to avoid sogginess.

Laura

For anyone who misses the meat of a traditional Reuben or who just wants to enhance the umami component, sub out one of the Swiss cheese slices for a slice of smoked cheese. Same basic sandwich with a bit of a twist. Delicious.

Mallory

We’ve been making these sandwiches for years (w/o this recipe). My favorite addition is a summertime heirloom tomato. It brings some real substance to the sandwich and complements the flavors nicely.

Judy H-M

This was a great idea for those who enjoy Ruben sandwiches, but who are reducing their meat consumption. We have thoroughly enjoyed these sandwiches.

Bob in Tennessee

I'd get some mushrooms in there as a meat sub, maybe a bit of smoked paprika in the sauce.

Wallace

My version is Reuben-esque: smoked cheddar, and coleslaw instead of sauerkraut. It’s a different thing but I dig it.

Susan Brink o’Flaherty

Make it vegan with Violife slices (provolone melts beautifully) or another vegan cheese substitute.

Jane

Unreal deli makes a delicious vegan corned beef! I use Violife provolone like Susan. And a Reuben with coleslaw instead of kraut is typically called a Rachel...

tikcug

uh, isn't this just a swiss cheese sandwich on rye? sacrilegious to call it a reuben without a meaty substitute for the corned beef in the original, such as seitan, tempeh etc.

Patty

You can’t go wrong using Siracha for the hot sauce and adding a slice of roasted red beet in place of the corned beef. A delicious sandwich.

Chris O.

I've used either harissa roasted carrots or roasted beets to sub for meat in this Rueben sandwich. New favorite sandwich at our house.

Cesaera

We make these at home all the time using Tofurkey brand hickory smoked turkey slices, so that there is some kind of other item inside of the sandwich. We also tend to use a refrigerated brand of thousand island dressing rather than making it from scratch.

AmyY

Love this. Sometimes I'll sauté thinly sliced mushrooms with coriander, pepper, and dry mustard or mustard seeds and add those. Great without, but a really hearty and tasty addition.

JDesai

Marinate some tempeh slices in liquid smoke, soy sauce, and a hint of brown sugar and then saute. Slip this into the sandwich for a satisfying mouthfeel, protein, and umami bomb. This is on steady rotation in our veggie home.

Neva

I thought this was delicious. I only had baby Swiss and slices of French bread and I did not cover the pan during browning of the bread - I was afraid that would take away from crispness of the bread. But otherwise, followed as presented. Delicious!

Leslie

I love this recipe. I never thought I would like it as much as I do. I often don’t cook recipes to a T, however this one I’ve made over a dozen times and always cook it exactly as directed. You will not miss the meat in this. I am not vegetarian, and I may make it with added blackened salmon next. I think that the steps taken in this are what is successful. I love it

KC

I make a similar sandwich with tempeh. I just slice the tempeh into 4 pieces and then slice those 4 pieces in half while laying them flat. I put those slices in tamari for a couple of minutes. Then cook them in olive oil in a pan. I either have those with sauerkraut and mustard or home made coleslaw and ketchup and mayonnaise.

Sue Hagar

Notes are helpful, especially the addition of tempeh. I specifically sought out a vegetarian version of a Rueben because one of our favorite brew pubs makes this with tempeh and it’s fabulous, so we want to see how close we can come to recreating.

Me

Add steamed broccoli and sliced cooked beets

Professor Doom

I'm not sure I would call this a Reuben. I use sliced yellow squash and zucchini, a red pepper slice, and thin tomato slices as filling. Much better

Jason

I make this all the time but sub out the corned beef with bacon or brisket and instead of sauerkraut I use ham.

knittysixx

I’ve never eaten a meat Reuben, but this was super yummy

Laurie M

I added pastrami for my meateaters it was the talk of New Year’s Day

Evelyn Pearl

Love, love, love this sandwich! I made this recipe as written the first time, the second time adding a few slices of Tofurkey at my husband’s request. I am more of a purist, but I’ll take it either way. I will note the rye bread you choose is extremely important. I went out of my way to make sure I bought one from a local bakery instead of the soft, spongy rye you find in the bread aisle at the grocery store.

katie j

these sandwiches are soooo good! i made them yesterday and again today but now i'm out of swiss cheese. today i added a fried egg to make it more breakfast-y and i am so happy from eating that i'm writing a review about it. ;)

Emil Espinosa

Substitute man check cheese. Sub red onions.

Annie

As long as we’re riffing on a classic, we throw a thick, homemade potato latke in there and mix kimchi into the sauerkraut. Swiss is of course traditional, but you can’t beat something really melty.

Even Better than a Traditional Rueben!

This.is.the.bomb!!!

aurora

I love this - I added thinly sliced raw beets to add more texture and a lot of hot sauce

Laurie M

I used broccoli for meat

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Vegetarian Reuben Sandwich Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is a good substitute for meat in a Reuben? ›

Tempeh, seitan, vegetables and mushrooms have stood in for the corned beef, but they're not really needed, because outsize quantities of the other traditional elements make a punchy, gooey sandwich on their own. Both sides of the buttered rye get melted Swiss.

What is a vegetarian Reuben sandwich substitute? ›

But non-meat eaters, or people trying to cut back on meat, can replace the corned beef with tempeh, seitan, thinly sliced roasted beets, maitake mushrooms, or, as we just learned in Taste magazine, an earthy parsnip slaw.

What's the difference between a Reuben and a Rachel sandwich? ›

Perhaps owing to its absence of an exact origin story, the Rachel is certainly more of a pliable sandwich than the classic Reuben as far as ingredients are concerned. The first major difference is that the Rachel swaps brisket-based corned beef for pastrami, which comes from a comparatively leaner cut of the cow.

How do you keep a Reuben from getting soggy? ›

Both kinds of meat are cured, but pastrami is then coated with a flavorful spice rub and smoked. Why is my Reuben sandwich soggy? The culprit is most likely the sauerkraut. Be sure to drain off as much liquid as possible from the sauerkraut before piling it onto your Reuben sandwich to prevent any sogginess.

What is a Texas Reuben? ›

A staple in delicatessens throughout the country, a typical Reuben includes pastrami and vinegar-y sauerkraut on some rye bread. We knew that we could do better, and decided to experiment one weekend with our menu. This Texas Reuben features our own lean smoked brisket thrown over some buttered and griddled rye bread.

How unhealthy is a Reuben sandwich? ›

About the Reuben

Unfortunately, this traditional sandwich is NOT one that I consider "heart healthy" as it provides approximately 800 calories, 50 grams fat, 20 grams of the artery-clogging saturated fat, 40 grams carbohydrates, 36 grams protein, and a whopping 3200 mg.

What is a Reuben without sauerkraut called? ›

The Rachel sandwich is one of several variations on the famous sandwich. Instead of the classic corned beef and sauerkraut, the Rachel is usually made with turkey or pastrami and coleslaw. Both sandwiches are made with Swiss cheese and rye bread.

What is a vegetarian sandwich made of? ›

I have used carrots, onions, corn, beans & bell pepper. You can also use some boiled potatoes, sliced or cheese if you like. Tomato is used for binding the veggies, if skipped the filling will turn out dry. To bind the veggies, you will need to either use cheese or grill it in a sandwich maker.

What is a Manhattan Reuben sandwich? ›

The Reuben sandwich is a North American grilled sandwich composed of corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing or Thousand Island dressing, grilled between slices of rye bread.

What is a redneck Reuben sandwich? ›

The Redneck Reuben Sandwich is the best BBQ sandwich on the planet! Pork, cheese, collard greens and Texas toast, what more could you need ...

What is a Katz Reuben? ›

Your choice of pastrami, corned beef or turkey breast with melted Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and homemade Russian dressing, all on grilled rye bread... Order Online.

Is Thousand Island the same as Russian dressing? ›

While there are a lot of overlapping ingredients, there are also some key differences between these two iconic slathers. To start, both are mostly made from a mix of mayonnaise and ketchup, but generally, Russian dressing is a little spicy while Thousand Island tends to be on the sweeter side.

Should a Reuben be pressed or toasted? ›

In some cases, this rule works for melts, which is what a Reuben technically is. But with the Reuben, I prefer to revert to single-side toasting, because I like the inner surfaces of the bread in a Reuben to be slightly steamed and tender, the whole thing partially fusing together.

Should a Reuben have pastrami or corned beef? ›

A Reuben sandwich is typically made with corned beef. It would taste great with pastrami too, it just wouldn't be a classic Reuben! Bottom line: You can't go wrong with either of these flavor-packed deli meats.

What is the difference between Thousand Island and Russian dressing for Reuben? ›

The ingredient that differentiates Russian dressing from Thousand Island is—drumroll, please—horseradish. When you have Russian dressing accenting a hearty sandwich like a Reuben, the horseradish can be hard to detect, especially when you've got the sharp, funky flavors of sauerkraut to contend with.

What is a good substitute for pastrami beef? ›

If you can't find pastrami, settle for corned beef. Pastrami is smoked corned beef, so they aren't too dissimilar. If you can't find corned beef, go for roast beef.

What deli meat is similar to corned beef? ›

Corned Beef vs Pastrami: What Are the Similarities? Both corned beef and pastrami are made from brisket that are brined in a solution of salt and spices before they're cooked.

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