Tempeh Reuben Sandwiches

You won’t miss the meat as this veggie version of a classic sandwich marinates tempeh in a savory spice mix of garlic, coriander, ginger, cloves, cinnamon and ginger. You’ll have some leftover Russian dressing, which is delectable as a dip for sliced veggies or served atop tomato salads. This recipe was created by Ashley Kershner who writes the blog Sprout.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the red cabbage slaw:

• 2 cups red cabbage, shredded
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt

For the Russian dressing:

• 1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise (or vegan mayonnaise)
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 2 tablespoons sweet pickles, minced
• 1 tablespoon capers, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• salt and pepper, to taste

To complete the Tempeh Reuben Sandwiches:

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf, crumbled
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 (8 ounce) package tempeh, cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1/4 cup salt
• 8 slices pumpernickel rye bread

Directions:

To make the red cabbage slaw:

Place the shredded cabbage, apple cider vinegar and salt together in a medium bowl. Mix until well combined. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

To make the Russian dressing:

Whisk the mayonnaise, ketchup, pickles, capers, red onion and lemon juice together in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside in the refrigerator.

To complete the Tempeh Reubens:

Combine the garlic powder, black pepper, ground mustard, coriander, red pepper flakes, allspice, cinnamon, bay leaf, cloves, ginger and salt together in a small jar with a fitted lid. Put the lid on the jar and shake the jar vigorously to mix the spices. Transfer the spices to a gallon freezer bag and add 1 teaspoon of the canola oil and 1/2 cup water to the bag. Shake to combine.

Bring 8 cups water and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the tempeh and boil for 10 minutes. Transfer the tempeh to the freezer bag containing the marinade. Let the tempeh marinate for 2 hours.

Heat the remaining teaspoon canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the marinated tempeh slices and cook 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown on each side.

Toast the bread and lay a few pieces of tempeh on half the slices of bread. Top each sandwich with about 1/4 cup of red cabbage slaw, 1 teaspoon of Russian dressing and the remaining slice of toasted bread.