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Tempeh Reuben

Mmmmm grainy mustard.

I considered centering this post around the marinade rather than the sandwich. It is the best tempeh marinade ever. The flavors are balanced and it's completely versatile for different kinds of recipes, as opposed to my usual rut of Asian-themed marinades for tofu and tempeh. Any time I want flavorful tempeh for a non-Asian recipe, this is the marinade I use.

The beginning of beautiful things.

The rest of the recipe is flexible. Of course you'll want sauerkraut, but I've varied the rest of the ingredients and I've never gone wrong. Thousand Island or mustard - both good. Onions or no onions - both good. Rye bread or sourdough bread or Ezekiel bread or Sarah Lee 45 calorie wheat bread - all good. Swiss or provolone - both good. I even tried cheddar once in a pinch, and it was perfectly acceptable.

My original inspiration was from this recipe. Her sauce with the cannellini beans sounds great, but I've  never gone to the effort. Recently, the spectacularly delicious white fish salad sandwich at Falling Sky has peaked my obsession with whole-grain mustard, so I just use that. Previously, I used to mix plain yogurt with ketchup for sort of a makeshift Thousand Island dressing.

Seriously, try the marinade.


The Recipe:
1/2 c water
1/3 c soy sauce
2 tsp cumin
1 tb mustard
3 cloves garlic
8 oz tempeh, sliced thickness-wise if it's not already thin enough for sandwiches
Sauerkraut, bread, swiss cheese, and mustard - or other desired sandwich components

  • Blend together the water, soy sauce, cumin, mustard, and garlic
  • Line a baking dish with foil and place tempeh slices in a single layer
  • Pour sauce over tempeh, coating it completely
  • Bake at 350, uncovered, for 30 minutes
  • Assembly a sandwich with tempeh, sauerkraut, cheese, and mustard.
  • Eat before the sauerkraut makes the bread soggy.

The Verdict:
Overall grade: A+ for the marinade. B for the sandwich.
Overall reason: The sandwich is good, but the marinade is golden. A perfect complement to so many different kinds of flavors.
Time to prepare: 40 minutes, including baking time
Husband quote: Sadly, the husband does not get very excited about tempeh sandwiches. Unless I make oven fries to go with them.


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