Easy Vegan Reuben Sandwich

I love a good, warm, messy sandwich. Growing up in my parents’ Greek deli, my dad made some cute fantastic, everything from tuna to turkey (all to melt) to gardenburgers (with feta, of course). And then later, when I was living in Los Angeles, in my twenties, I got *really* into sandwiches at all the amazing Jewish delis in the city, and that’s where I found my favorite sandwich obsession, the Reuben . A classic Reuben is made with corned beef, provolone, sauerkraut and Russian dressing on rye bread. Now I don’t eat beef anymore, but cabbage I missed that super umami/tart/melty goodness of the Reuben. So, I started trying to make a beef-free version and found the flavor bonanza with this vegan Reuben sandwich made with thinly sliced, roasted tofu.

Tofu??? <- That's what you might think. And I get it, a lot of people think that tofu is a tasteless ingredient. But I would instead recommend that you think of tofu as a canvas for flavor, because it easily takes on the flavor of whatever you cook with it. And in this case, it gets a TON of umami herby goodness from this soy + mustard + paprika + steak sauce based marinade (yes, most ready-made steak sauce like A1 is actually vegan). So, to start, thinly slice a block of tofu (think about the shape and thickness of gyro meat), then place it in a shallow dish, cover it with the marinade, and let it sit for a few hours or overnight for the most flavor. . The next day, you arrange the slices on a baking sheet, roast them in the oven, so the edges get all nice and crispy while the center stays chewy and pliable, creating a flavor and texture profile really close to the classic non-vegetarian Reuben stuffing.

And when you add the other traditional ingredients + flavors like rye bread, sauerkraut, Russian dressing, and melted cheese (you could use vegan or regular cheese, right?), you’ve got one devil sandwich in your hands. And honestly it’s really, really easy to make. The hardest part is waiting for the marinade to finish so you can actually make and eat the sandwich. But since the actual cooking of the tofu happens on a baking sheet, the process becomes much easier, which gives you the perfect amount of time to toast the bread + heat the sauerkraut and cheese in time to assemble them. all together once the tofu is ready. OH! And if you’re looking for another veggie sandwich to hit the mark, don’t forget to try my chickpea salad sandwich from a few weeks ago. Now on to my advice!

Tips for making a great vegan Reuben sandwich

• The thickness of the tofu slice affects the texture and crunchiness – Once roasted, the edges become super crispy while the center remains pliable, which has a very similar texture to the meat usually found in the sandwich. But keep in mind that the thinner you slice the tofu, the faster it will cook and vice versa. I cut the tofu to about the same thickness as the gyro meat, so keep an eye on it while it’s in the oven and make sure the edges crisp up a little, but don’t burn.
• Press the tofu – Squeezing excess water out of the tofu before marinating will help the tofu absorb more of the marinade, making it more umami and flavorful.
• Different brands of tofu have different amounts of water – I found some extra-firm tofu that comes in flexible vacuum-sealed containers like this they have less water and are firmer and better to slice. The ones inside hard plastic shells they tend to be softer (even though they say extra firm) and fall apart more easily when you cut them, so I’d avoid them.
• Make the Russian dressing yourself – In my opinion, some of the ready-made Russian toppings are a little strangely sweet, so if you really want to give this sandwich a try, it’s worth making your own at home. You probably already have most of the ingredients in your fridge (aside from the pickle relish, which is admittedly a bit specialized unless you really like hot dogs).