This vegan seitan corned beef Reuben with Russian Dressing is made with our homemade vegan corned beef and Russian dressing and layered with tangy sauerkraut and vegan cheese on buttery rye bread. It's the best classic vegan sandwich!
Published March 14, 2018 and updated March 8, 2021.
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Ingredients and substitutions
Seitan Corned Beef - Seitan corned beef is so easy to make. All you'll need is vital wheat gluten, corned beef spices, and a beet for color. If you can make it the day before, it's even better after it's refrigerated overnight.
Rye Bread - A Reuben isn't a Reuben without rye bread. The flavor of the rye is crucial to this delicious sandwich. However, if you're not a fan of rye you could use whole wheat or whole grain bread. The denser the bread the better, so we'd stay away from light white bread.
Sauerkraut - Like rye bread, this is a must if you're making a true Reuben. If you really dislike sauerkraut, you could use a tangy coleslaw in its place.
Vegan Swiss Cheese - Daiya makes a Swiss cheese that you should be able to find at your local grocery store. If you can't find that, vegan provolone works well.
Russian Dressing - Our homemade dressing is made with vegan mayonnaise, horseradish sauce, vegan Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and salt and pepper. It's super easy to whip up and adds great texture and flavor to the sandwich.
Vegan Butter - This is necessary for grilling. It will make the bread nice and crispy. We like Miyoko's or Earth Balance.
How to make it
STEP ONE
Make the seitan corned beef. The recipe is linked in the recipe card.
STEP TWO
Butter the outside of the rye bread and then pile one piece with thinly sliced vegan corned beef.
STEP THREE
Top the corned beef with vegan Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian Dressing.
STEP FOUR
Top the sandwich with the second piece of buttered bread and grill until it's browned and toasty and the cheese melts.
Serving and storing
This sandwich is best when eaten just after grilling. We don't recommend storing it once it's made.
Serve it with any of the following sides:
Roasted Rosemary and Sage Home Fries
Vegan Southern-Style Creamy Potato Salad
Make our vegan seitan corned beef Reuben with Russian dressing and let us know what you think. Make sure to take a picture and tag us @veganosity on Instagram. We love seeing your gorgeous creations.
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Vegan Corned Beef Reuben Sandwich with Russian Dressing
Equipment
- stove
Ingredients
Russian Dressing
- ¼ cup vegan mayo just mayo
- 2 teaspoon ketchup
- 2 teaspoon horseradish sauce
- ½ teaspoon vegan Worcestershire
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Sandwich
- Vegan butter
- Rye bread
- Sauerkraut
- Vegan swiss cheese or a white cheese
Instructions
FOR THE RUSSIAN DRESSING
- In a small bowl, whisk the ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise, 2 teaspoon ketchup, 2 teaspoon horseradish sauce, ½ teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper to taste until well combined. Taste and add more of any one ingredient to suit your taste.
TO MAKE THE REUBEN SANDWICH
- Butter the bottom piece of both slices of bread and cover one (butter side down) with as much corned beef as you like. Put the slice of cheese over the corned beef, then the sauerkraut (as much as you like) on top of the cheese, and finally, dress the top piece of bread with as much Russian dressing as you like and put it on top of the sandwich (butter side up).
- Heat a skillet on medium heat and carefully set the sandwich in the pan and cover with a lid. Cook for approximately 2 minutes, or until the buttered bread is nicely browned. Remove the lid and carefully flip the sandwiches and cover and cook for another 2 minutes, or until the cheese is melty (See Note) and the bread is nicely browned. Add more butter to the pan if necessary.
carol says
The seitan came out almost rubbery. I wasn’t able to thinly slice or shread. What went wrong?
Linda Meyer says
Hi Carol, we're sorry it turned out rubbery. Did you knead it for the entire 2 minutes? Kneading activates the gluten and gives it its texture. Other than that, we're not sure why that happened. We've made it numerous times and it always slices well.
Sara says
Phenomenal! This is actually the first time I’ve made homemade seitan, and it was so easy! I’m wondering, does the seitan freeze well? If not, how long does it stay good in the fridge? I’m the only one who eats it in the house so I’d like to keep it as long as possible!
Linda Meyer says
Hi Sara! Thank you so much, we're so happy you liked it. 🙂 Yes, you can freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator. We suggest slicing it into individual serving sizes so you can grab what you want and not have to thaw the entire piece.
annaokie says
This looks fantastic! Can one use any kind of gluten flour, or should one use the "vital wheat gluten"? Since it isn't capitalized, I assume that it's not a particular brand
Linda Meyer says
Hi! Yes, you must use vital wheat gluten for this recipe to work. Let us know if you have any other questions. 🙂
Julie says
Do you know if anyone has tried this with a gf flour??
Linda Meyer says
Hi Julie, Unfortunately, you can't make seitan with GF flour, you need the gluten to create the meaty texture.
Ray Vantika says
Could you swap the 1 cup water+1/2 inch slice of beet for 1 cup of beet juice?
Alex Meyer, MA says
Hey Ray! Thanks for the comment! The beet juice is really for the color rather than the flavor so I'm pretty sure that beet juice would also work.
Randi Tisdall says
I always loved reubens, so this definitely made my mouth water! Thanks for sharing!
Linda Meyer says
Our pleasure! Thank you, Randi.
Alena says
Vegan comfort food alert! I've never made vegan mock meat myself at home but this looks too enticing 🙂
Linda Meyer says
Thank you Alena! We didn't either until we started creating recipe for our cookbook. Once we perfected our ribz recipe I became borderline obsessed with it. It's not something we eat often, but it's a great way to introduce vegan food to people who eat meat. 🙂
Paul Eyers says
growing up in UK never had a corn beef rueben so have nothing to compare this to but if it tastes anything like it looks in the picture I WANT ONE NOW!!!
Linda Meyer says
Hey Paul! Thank you so much! You don't know what you
re missing! :) If we were you we'd get in the kitchen now and whip one up.annawierzbinskaymailcom says
Such a genius idea! I've never had Reuben sandwich before, but it looks absolutely epic! And I love the combination of flavours and spices there too!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Anna! You should try it, it's so delicious and decadent. 🙂
Christine @ Run Plant Based says
Yum, this is such a great recipe that I can't wait to try - thanks!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you! I hope you do, and let us know what you think.
pastabased says
Ohhh wow! Mouth WATERING!!! This recipe is perfect for St. Paddy's Day - delicccious!!!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you! Yes, it's perfect for St. Paddy's Day, and we can't wait to make more. 🙂
Wayne says
Is it possible to use an Instant Pot instead of the oven for this recipe? By the way, have you cooked seitan in a pressure cooker (i.e. Instant Pot)? If so, what is your experience like?
Linda Meyer says
Hi Wayne! We're sorry, we don't own an Instant Pot or a pressure cooker so we can't give you any instructions on how to cook it that way. One of these days we'll step into the 21st Century! 🙂
Wayne says
Thanks for your reply and it is very much appreciated. Please know that I am more than positive that you will very much enjoy using an Instant Pot once it makes its way to your kitchen, smile! In any rate, I am really looking forward to getting your cookbook soon.
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Wayne! I'm sure you're right, we just have to find some space to store it. 🙂 We can't wait to hear what you think of the cookbook. Thank you so much for ordering it. We truly appreciate it.
TY says
Hello: Regarding the 1/2 slice of beet, about how thick of a slice is needed? Plan to try this recipe tonight!
Linda Meyer says
Hi TY! A half-inch slice is large enough. Roast the rest of the beet for a side or use it in a smoothie. 🙂