Tofu Reuben Recipe
I love reuben sandwiches. The flavors, the textures, and of course the aroma of this St Patricks day delight are one of a kind. Corned beef, sauerkraut, and toasted rye bread....stop it. I'm salivating.
And then I became a mainly pescetarian and the whole corned beef thing didn't really fit with that philosophy. No thanks to nitrates and poorly raised beef. Solution? Tofu ruben sandwich. Don't you even think about 'psha!'-ing the recipe because of the tofu. The seasonings in each layer of this sandwich are mindblowing. The tofu is only a protein and seasoning vehicle. Let it drive this once, okay? Even the omniverous husband loved this one.
While this recipe is multi stepped with lots of little amounts of spices, it is worth the time. I'll admit I'm generally the girl who skips over ingredients under a teaspoon, but not on this one.
Here's what you'll be whipping up:
- Sauce: Reubens often contain a Thousand Island-esque dressing but this homemade version is additive free and full of extra flavors.
- Sauerkraut: Buy the bagged version and spice it up. Nix the can.
- Tofu: Tofu becomes transformed with a spice rub.
- 1/8 C ketchup
- 1/2 C Greek yogurt or Sour cream or Mayo
- 1 squeeze lemon
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 t chili powder
- 1/2 t celery seed
- 1/2 t paprika
- 1/2 t ground mustard
- 1/8 C chopped onion
- 1/4 of a pickle, chopped
- 1 bag of sauerkraut (I used Silverfloss)
- 1/4 onion, chopped
- 1/4 C cider vinegar
- pinch ground pepper
- 2 t caraway or fennel seed
- water
- 1 package firm or extra firm tofu
- 2 T brown sugar
- 1 dash Liquid Smoke
- 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 t ground cinnamon
- 1/4 t allspice
- 1/4 t ground clove
- 1/4 t dry mustard
- 1/4 t ground ginger
- salt and pepper
- vegetable oil, enough to make a paste
- The sauce
- The tofu
- The sauerkraut
- Rye bread
- Swiss Cheese
- Butter
Dietitian Nutritionist and cookbook author sharing flavor-forward recipes and simplified science-driven wellness.