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    Home » Recipes

    Sweet Potato Reuben Sandwich (Vegan)

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    This Sweet Potato Reuben Sandwich will blow your mind. Roasted sweet potatoes, sauerkraut, and homemade vegan Thousand Island on delicious rye bread. A plant-based masterpiece that’s healthy, easy, and oil-free!

    sweet potato reuben cut in half and stacked.

    Any time I’m in Asheville, N.C. I ALWAYS visit the Laughing Seed Cafe, it has one of the best vegan menus on the Easter Seaboard. One of the things I had to try on my last visit was the vegan Reuben made with what they called “sweet potato pastrami.” So, I ordered it and it completely caught me off guard.

    Most vegan meats are made using seitan or tofu, but not this one. The “meat” part was actually roasted seasoned sweet potatoes that were thinly sliced. And, oh my, was it delicious!

    I have been obsessed with trying to recreate this amazing sandwich ever since I got back home. And, this sweet potato pastrami Reuben sandwich recipe is the result.

    Savory roasted sweet potatoes, tangy sauerkraut, and homemade vegan Thousand Island dressings rest between two pieces of delicious marble rye bread. It’s then pan-fried, without oil, to crunchy golden perfection. Oh, baby!

    If you’ve been missing the flavors of your favorite sandwich just wait until you try this sweet potato Reuben sandwich. It’s healthy, vegan, oil-free,

    Table of Contents

    • Where did the Reuben Sandwich come from?
    • What You’ll Need To Make This Sandwich
    • How To Make A Sweet Potato Reuben Sandwich
    • Pro Tips For Making A Delicious Vegan Reuben Sandwich
    • Serving Suggestions
    • More Vegan Sandwich Recipes
    • Sweet Potato Reuben Sandwich (Vegan)

    Where did the Reuben Sandwich come from?

    Contrary to popular belief the Reuben sandwich was developed in America and not in Germany or Russia. And, even those stories have conflicting accounts.

    One story says that Reuben Kulakofsky, a grocery store owner in Omaha, Nebraska, asked for a sandwich made of corned beef and sauerkraut at his weekly poker game at the Blackstone Hotel in the 1920s. 

    Another account holds that the Reuben’s creator was Arnold Reuben, the German-Jewish owner of Reuben’s Delicatessen in New York City.

    And, the lesser-known version gives credit to Alfred Scheuing, a chef at Reuben’s Delicatessen, saying he created the sandwich for Reuben’s son, Arnold Jr., in the 1930s. (source)

    Ingredients.

    What You’ll Need To Make This Sandwich

    You only need a few simple ingredients to make this vegan sweet potato Reuben sandwich.

    • Sweet Potato: 1 large sweet potato thinly sliced. I used regular orange sweet potatoes but you could also Japanese sweet potatoes or white sweet potatoes.
    • Spices: a simple mixture of black pepper, ground mustard, ground coriander, dried thyme, crushed red pepper, cinnamon ground ginger, and ground cloves. You can use a spice grinder if you wish but I prefer to buy spices that are already dried and ground. It’s just easier.
    • Bread: Marble rye is my go-to but you can use any oil-free whole grain bread you choose.
    • Dressing: My homemade vegan Thousand Island dressing is perfect for this sandwich. All you need is some silken tofu, ketchup, and sweet pickle relish. It’s sweet and tangy and pairs perfectly with the savoriness of this recipe.
    Seasoned sweet potatoes on baking sheet.

    How To Make A Sweet Potato Reuben Sandwich

    This mouth-watering sweet potato Reuben sandwich is loaded with flavor and is incredibly close to its non-vegan counterpart. Here’s how you make it!

    Start by preheating your oven to 400˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mats. Then, add all of the spices to a small bowl and mix them together.

    Next, thinly slice the sweet potato lengthwise with a knife or mandoline slicer. I used a mandoline slicer on the thinnest setting.

    Toss the sweet potato slices in a little low-sodium vegetable broth or water so the spices will stick to them. Lay the sweet potato out on the baking sheet and sprinkle the spice mixture over each slice then flip and repeat.

    Thousand Island dressing on rye bread.

    Place the sweet potatoes in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked through and tender.

    Heat a nonstick skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat and begin preparing the sandwiches.

    Sweet potatoes and dressing on rye bread.

    Spread a generous heaping spoonful of Thousand Island dressing on each slice of bread, add ½ of the sweet potato slices to the bottom slice, top the sweet potatoes with sauerkraut and place the remaining slice of bread on top.

    Sweet potato pastrami on bread.

    Place the sweet potato Reuben sandwich in the pan and cook until each side of the sandwich is golden brown and crunchy, flipping occasionally with a spatula to avoid burning.

    Once the sandwich is finished cooking, transfer to a plate, slice in half, and enjoy!

    That’s it!

    Sweet potato reuben sandwich.

    Pro Tips For Making A Delicious Vegan Reuben Sandwich

    Missing the Swiss cheese commonly found in a Reuben? No worries! Just whip up a batch of my vegan mozzarella and pile it on top. It melts and stretches just like real cheese and you’ll get that delicious taste and texture you love.

    If you’re not a fan of Thousand Island dressing simply use my cashew mayo or tofu mayonnaise. AH-mazing!

    Grilled sweet potato reuben sandwich.

    Serving Suggestions

    Serve this delicious sweet potato Reuben with my fat-free microwave potato chips, easy vegan coleslaw, and pickle spears. Here are a few other suggestions:

    • The Best Vegan Potato Salad
    • Vegan Macaroni Salad
    • Healthy Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

    This recipe is great for lunch, dinner, or even a snack.

    Sweet potato reuben sandwich cut in half.

    More Vegan Sandwich Recipes

    • Cajun Blackened Tofu Sandwich with Sriracha Coleslaw
    • Vegan BBQ Tempeh Sandwich
    • Chickpea Salad Sandwich
    • Potato Chip Tomato Sandwich
    • Best Vegan Pulled Pork Sandwich

    If you tried this recipe please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and a review in the comments section down below the recipe card. Stay in touch with and connect with me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or by subscribing to my newsletter.

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    Sweet Potato Reuben Sandwich (Vegan)

    ★★★★★

    4.8 from 12 reviews

    Print Recipe

    This Sweet Potato Reuben Sandwich will blow your mind. Roasted sweet potatoes, sauerkraut, and homemade vegan Thousand Island on delicious rye bread. A plant-based masterpiece that’s healthy, easy, and oil-free!

    • Total Time: 35 minutes
    • Yield: 2 sandwiches 1x

    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 1 large sweet potato, peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise
    • 4 slices of any oil-free whole grain bread (I used rye bread)
    • ½ cup saurekraut
    • ½ cup vegan Thousand Island Dressing

    Spice Mix For Sweet Potato Reuben

    • 1 tablespoon ground mustard seeds
    • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
    • 1 tablespoon dried thyme or oregano
    • 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
    • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
    • ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves

    Instructions

    To Cook The Sweet Potatoes

    1. Add all of the spices to a small bowl and mix them together.
    2. Preheat your oven to 400˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    3. Thinly slice the sweet potato lengthwise. I used a mandoline slicer on the thinnest setting.
    4. Toss the sweet potato slices in a little low-sodium vegetable broth or water and then lay them out on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the spice mixture over each slice of the sweet potatoes then flip and repeat. Place the sweet potatoes in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes until cooked through and tender. Cook on the longer side if you want a bit of a char.

    To Make The Sandwich

    1. Heat a nonstick skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat.
    2. Generously spread some of the vegan Thousand Island dressing on each slice of bread, add ½ of the sweet potato slices on the bottom slice, and top with sauerkraut. Place the last piece of bread on top and set the sandwich in the pan.
    3. Cook the sandwich until each side is golden brown and crunchy, flipping occasionally to avoid burning.
    4. Once the sandwich is finished cooking, transfer to a plate, slice in half, and enjoy!
    5. Serve with fat-free microwave potato chips and pickle spears.

    Equipment

    Parchment Paper

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    Grill Pan

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    Nonstick Skillet

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    Baking Sheet

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    Silicone Baking Mat

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    Notes

    I used marble rye for this recipe but use your favorite oil-free whole grain bread.

    The sodium tends to be a bit higher in this recipe because it’s such a large portion and the condiments. If you wish to lower the sodium you can cut the portions in half or use a lesser amount of the fixings.

    • Author: Shane Martin
    • Prep Time: 10 minutes
    • Cook Time: 25 minutes
    • Category: Vegan Main Dishes
    • Method: Oven and stovetop
    • Cuisine: Vegan
    • Diet: Vegan

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 sandwich
    • Calories: 325
    • Sugar: 14.3 g
    • Sodium: 890.4 mg
    • Fat: 4.5 g
    • Carbohydrates: 63 g
    • Fiber: 10.2 g
    • Protein: 5.1 g
    • Cholesterol: 0 mg

    Keywords: vegan sweet potato reuben sandwich, vegan reuben sandwich, roasted sweet potatoes, easy vegan recipes, oil-free recipes

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Susan

      January 22, 2023 at 3:54 pm

      This was so delish! I had it at the restaurant first then saw it in your blog and had to try it ! You got it! Also they served it using tempe as an option. I don’t love tempe bu8t I loved theirs. Thank you for all your wonderful recipes! and advice!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    2. Peggy

      January 20, 2023 at 8:04 am

      If I could, I’d give a 10-star rating!!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    3. Peggy Olson

      January 19, 2023 at 8:45 pm

      Initially, I wondered how a seasoned, roasted sweet potato could take the place of pastrami in a Reuben-like sandwich. I had my doubts and believed I was going to be like the original “Doubting Thomas.” Boy, was I wrong! This is a magical recipe and deserves to be printed and highlighted with the word “AWESOME” on it. Since I did not have a mandoline slicer, I used a sharp knife to cut the peeled sweet potato into thin rounds. I made one other adjustment by reducing the spice mix to half, which seemed sufficient for the one “medium-sized” sweet potato I had on hand. Everything else, including the exact ingredients for the thousand island dressing, was made exactly as stated in the recipe. SO delicious! My husband and I devoured one sandwich each and then, immediately, made one more to share. Silly me! Why, oh why would I ever doubt a recipe of Shane’s? They are my go-to recipes! Simple. Elegant. Perfect.

      Reply
    4. Coby

      January 14, 2023 at 5:29 pm

      This sandwich is delicious! I’ve never had a Reuben sandwich of any kind, so this was my first one. I love sweet potatoes in just about everything, and the spice mix on the sweet potatoes was fantastic. This was such a hearty and filling sandwich!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    5. Teri

      January 02, 2023 at 8:30 pm

      Hi Shane, I wanted to update my comment.
      We love this sandwich sooo much we eat it twice week!! We switched the spice mix to just garlic powder. We use Ezekiel bread& grill 1st.
      I use spicy mustard on mine& hubby uses your cashew mayo on his. Thank u soo much for recipe! 😇

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        January 03, 2023 at 12:11 pm

        Sounds awesome and way to make it your own. That’s what it’s all about. Thank you for reaching out.

        Reply
    6. CindyLu

      November 17, 2022 at 8:33 am

      Delicious! I made everything over the weekend and then put our sammies together for dinner on a busy weeknight. I did not bother pan frying them. Thanks to you, my husband has found ONE sweet potato recipe he likes now! I am going to attempt “ham”….I bet it could be done!
      Thanks for the great recipe!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    7. Maryann

      October 23, 2022 at 6:39 pm

      It was so spicy I couldn’t finish it all; rechecked the spice amount and followed the recipe exactly. Loved the dressing!

      ★★★

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        October 25, 2022 at 4:46 pm

        Hi, Maryann! Try cutting back on the spices. It should still be flavorful:)

        Reply
    8. Tama

      October 19, 2022 at 2:11 pm

      This was so yummy- the dressing !! Will have on my site soon! Thx for creating!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    9. Lisa

      October 06, 2022 at 2:02 pm

      My husband and I love Reuben sandwiches and since being totally WFPB hadn’t found a good recipe! This sandwich rocks!! Easy and delicious! It will now be in my regular rotation. Thank you!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    10. MIMI

      September 26, 2022 at 12:49 pm

      Oh my, I’ve been dying for a loso veggie Rubin sandwich for so many years! I’ll work out the sodium part but can’t wait to try it!! Thank you!! 😍

      Reply
    11. Teri

      September 25, 2022 at 5:28 pm

      Hi Shane,we just made this & it was good,my husband liked it. Seasoning on sweet potatoes was different. Where do u get your no oil marble rye?? I searched in stores& couldn’t find any. We really love rye bread& wanted to use. This was my 1st time eating sourcrout & I liked it,lol. We grilled our bread 1st& used your cashew mayo as we don’t eat tofu. We will be making this again but maybe with different seasoning. Thank u for recipe.😇

      ★★★★

      Reply
    12. Ali Ginn

      September 05, 2022 at 7:20 pm

      OMG! Shane! I was so leery about using sweet potato to make pastrami. So much better than the vegan options available. Added some raw red onion and treated the sauerkraut. I was concerned about flipping sandwiches in a dry frying pan so I toasted the bread in my toaster oven before assembly. The Thousand Island dressing was perfect.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        September 07, 2022 at 7:06 am

        Thank you so much, Ali!!!

        Reply
    13. Shane Martin

      September 01, 2022 at 9:36 am

      This Sweet Potato Reuben Sandwich will blow your mind. Roasted sweet potatoes, sauerkraut, and homemade vegan Thousand Island on delicious rye bread. A plant-based masterpiece that’s healthy, easy, and oil-free!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    14. Marlene

      September 01, 2022 at 8:00 am

      Do you put the dressing on both sides of the bread before grilling?

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        September 01, 2022 at 9:34 am

        In the recipe I suggest it, but it really depends on what you like.

        Reply
    15. Kathy

      September 01, 2022 at 7:31 am

      OMG this sounds delicious. Would this work with the other sweet potatoes, Japanese or Jersey sweets/Hannah yams? or are they too sweet?

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        September 01, 2022 at 9:35 am

        I see no reason why not:)

        Reply
        • Lisa Abbiati

          September 09, 2022 at 4:47 pm

          All I can say is wow! Didn’t change anything in the recipe and I’m glad. This sandwich is delicious and the thousand island dressing puts it over the top. I’ll be using the dressing on all my sandwiches. Thanks Shane!

          ★★★★★

          Reply

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