Ohhh those magical, mythical sandwiches that all my favourite American bloggers are always writing about!  I thought my turn would never come but FINALLY I have consumed a Tempeh Reuben on Australian soil!  *happy dance*

The Tempeh Reubens we fell in love with at Caravan of Dreams and many other vegan restaurants across the US didn’t have gooey cheese on both sides of their insides, but ours did.  We baked the tempeh so it absorbed all the amazing marinade flavours and turned a glossy, delicious brown.  Then we lashed on the tangy dressing, sauerkraut and caramelised onions and created a huge, magical sandwich that oozed its deliciousness with every single bite.

It looks messy.  It is messy.  But you won’t care.

Don’t get spooked by the long list of ingredients or steps – it’s simple to make and the result is oh so worth the effort!  I made all the filling ingredients at once and then popped half in the fridge.  Then we ate half the sandwiches for dinner and only had to make the cheesy toast again to enjoy them for brunch again the next day.

Trust me, make more.  You won’t regret it.

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The Magical Tempeh Reuben!

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4 -6

Author Rebecca Weller - Vegan Sparkles

Ingredients

For 6 sandwiches:

• 12 slices Bread rye is traditional but I like gluten-free multi-grain
• 2 large Tomatoes sliced
• 1 packet of Non-dairy Cheese I like Notzarella or Vegusto, sliced
• 1 cup Sauerkraut

Marinated Tempeh

• 1 packet Tempeh
• 1/2 cup Apple Juice unsweetened
• 2 tbsp Agave Nectar
• 1/4 cup Tamari / Soy Sauce
• 2 cloves Garlic crushed
• 1 small piece Ginger finely chopped

Russian Dressing

• 1/2 cup Pine Nuts blended with 1/2 cup Water until smooth and creamy
• 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Splash of Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/2 Lemon juiced
• 1 clove Garlic crushed
• 1 tbsp Mustard I like American because it's sweeter, but French would be good too
• 3 tbsp Ketchup / Tomato Sauce
• Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
• Pinch of Cracked Black Pepper and Sea Salt
• 2 tbsp chopped Brown Onion

Caramelised Onions

• 2 large Brown Onions sliced (minus 2tbsp used in the Russian dressing)
• Splash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Pinch of Sea Salt

Instructions

• Pre-heat oven to 180C/350F.
• Cut tempeh in half horizontally to create two large, thin sheets.  Cut each sheet into 6 even pieces.
• Place tempeh pieces in a single layer in a baking dish and cover evenly with the marinade ingredients.  Place baking dish in the oven and allow to bake for 30 minutes or so.
• Slice onions and throw them into a saucepan with the oil and salt.  Slowly cook over a low-medium heat until caramelised and golden brown (about 20 minutes).
• Combine all Russian dressing ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
• Place bread slices under the grill and toast one side until golden.  Flip bread over, place cheese on top of each slice and grill until cheese melts.
• Remove from grill and place a generous dollop of Russian dressing on each cheesy toast slice.
• On 6 of the bread slices, assemble sandwich by placing two pieces of tempeh on each bread slice, topped with a slice or two of tomato, a large dollop of sauerkraut and caramelised onions.
• Top with another cheesy toast slice and wrap your laughing gear around it!

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