If you want to experience deliciousness like never before, you should try a vegan Ruben sandwich. It’s a twist on the classic Ruben sandwich that replaces the meat with a mix of cabbage and apple, packing in a lot of flavors without compromising on quality.
About this recipe
What really makes this sandwich stand out from the traditional sandwich? While the classic recipe calls for corned beef, swiss cheese, sour kraut, and a Russian dressing, a vegan Reuben sandwich is made with plant-based ingredients that offer delicious, satisfying, and hearty flavors. I chose not to include any processed ingredients in this sandwich.
This meatless version of the traditional Reuben sandwich offers a unique and delicious combination of flavors and textures, leaving you with a tasty and wonderful sandwich that you won’t forget anytime soon.
ingredients for the vegan Reuben sandwich
- Oil. You can use olive oil or any other vegetable oil
- Shredded cabbage (green or red cabbage) or Brussels sprouts
- Apples, julienned apples. Looks for firm and sweet apples.
- Apple cider vinegar it is important to use apple cider vinegar
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Rye bread or rustic bread. Toast it on a cast iron skillet or a smart oven.
- Dijon mustard
- Russian dressing or Thousand Island dressing, see the notes in the recipe card to learn how to make it vegan and homemade.
How to make the vegan Reuben sandwich
Add the tablespoon oil and shredded cabbage in a medium skillet for about 3-5 minutes until it softens. Add the apples and leave for three more minutes or until the apples begin to soften.
Add the tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, mix well, and add salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Leave for 2 minutes or until the vinegar evaporates.
To assemble the sandwich, start by toasting the bread slices and set aside. To assemble the sandwiches, spread dijon mustard all the way to the edges of a portion of bread, serve it with apple cabbage on top, drizzle some Russian dressing or Thousand Island dressing, and top with the other piece of bread.
Sandwich variations
- Seitan Reuben: Add seitan, a meat substitute made from wheat protein. You can make your own seitan or buy it pre-made.
- Tempeh Reuben: Use tempeh instead of corned beef.
- Tofu Reuben: Slice firm tofu into thin pieces and marinate it in maple syrup, soy sauce, and liquid smoke. Grill or pan-fry the tofu until crispy.
- Add vegan swiss cheese to the sandwich.
- Add more cabbage by adding sauerkraut.
- Air-fried mushrooms: Add air-fried mushrooms. Layer the mushrooms on the sandwich with the apple cabbage mix and top with thousand island dressing.
Other vegan sandwiches recipes
- Mushroom sandwich
- Sloppy Joe
- Vegan Pulled Pork sandwich with homemade BBQ sauce.
- Banh mi
- Meatless meatball sandwich
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Apple Reuben sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or other neutral tasting oil
- 2 cups shredded green cabbage
- 1 cup julienned apples
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 8 slices rye bread or rustic bread
- dijon mustard
- Russian dressing or Thousand Island dressing* see notes
Instructions
- In a medium skillet add the tablespoon oil and shredded cabbage for about 3-5 minutes, until it softens. Add the apples and leave for three more minutes or until the apples begin to soften.
- Add the tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, mix well, add salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
- Leave 2 minutes or until the vinegar evaporates.
To assemble the vegan sandwich
- Toast the bread slices and set aside.
- To assemble the sandwiches, spread dijon mustard all the way to the edges of a slice of bread, serve the with apple-cabbage on top, drizzle some Russian dressing or Thousand Island dressing and top with the other slice of bread.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons chopped butter pickles
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon onion, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Nutrition
information
Nutritional information of this recipe is only an estimate, the accuracy for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
I wrote this post in collaboration with Super Fresh Apple Growers and Autumn Glory in February 2018; the recipe, photos, and opinions are all my own.
Tengo una Certificación Profesional en la cocina vegana; en el mundo de la cocina basada en vegetales, frutas, granos, leguminosas… en comida limpia, orgánica y vegana.
My cookbook is called Yo Cocino Latino..
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