The Reuben sandwich is one of the first things that comes to mind when we think about delicious ways to use sauerkraut. It's a classic. There are debates as to whether the sandwich originated in Reuben's Deli in New York City, or at a weekly poker game at the Blackstone Hotel in Omaha, Nebraska. As an Omahan, I prefer to believe the Omaha story, but all that really matters is that it remains a delicious staple of lunch menus near and far. These days, Russian dressing has been replaced with Thousand Island dressing in most versions of the Reuben. Here, we offer a vegetarian version, made with marinated tempeh in place of corned beef.

The Tempeh Reuben

Ingredients:
rye bread
butter
sweet onion
garlic
Eastern European Sauerkraut
swiss cheese
 
 For the tempeh:
tempeh
garlic
ginger
pepper
tamari
water
 
 For the Thousand Island dressing:
1 c mayonnaise
1/3 c.  ketchup
¼ c sweet pickle relish
 Directions:
1. Slice the tempeh into thin strips and place in a marinade of equal parts water and tamari with some pepper and minced ginger and garlic.
2. Chop some onion and a few cloves of garlic and sauté on low heat in olive oil until soft and sweet.
3. While the onions are cooking and the tempeh is marinating (flip as needed), mix up the dressing, butter one side of each of your pieces of bread, and slice the cheese.
4. Sauté the tempeh in a pan with some oil on med-low heat until crispy.
5. Once all the ingredients are assembled, place a slice of bread butter side down in a pan and layer on the ingredients as desired, starting with the cheese. Grill until both sides are browned. Eat immediately.