Smoky Tempeh Reuben with Sprouts
The key to an awesome sandwich is all in the sauce and the crunch. Broccoli/radish/fenugreek sprouts make a wonderful addition to any sandwich but really shine in this take on a tempeh reuben. The flavors are light, subtle, and oh-so-satisfying. The sprouts elevate this lunchtime or picnic favorite to a real spring treat.
Liquid smoke, a natural byproduct of burning wood, is often used to give barbecue that smoky flavor. To achieve that similar taste, this recipe uses lapsang souchong, a Chinese black tea with smoky, pungent, and woody notes. You can get it in loose leaf form or even in teabags in your grocery’s tea aisle.
What you’ll need
Yield: 1 sandwich
8 oz. package of plain tempeh
1 c. water
2-4 tsp lapsang souchong tea
1-2 Tbsp of cooking oil (coconut, vegetable, or any other neutral oil)
A pat of butter (~0.5 Tbsp)
Couple slices of rye bread
Your favorite melty cheese - Tilsit used in this recipe. Raclette and other Swiss cheeses also work well here.
Dollop of Thousand Island (or Russian) dressing
Sauerkraut
A generous helping of broccoli, radish, and/or fenugreek sprouts*
Brew a hot concentrate of lapsang souchong tea (1-2 tsp per 0.5 cup water) by bringing a cup of water to boil. Remove from stove and let tea leaves (or teabags) steep for 5 minutes.
Cut a block of tempeh into thin slices and let marinate, fully covered in the tea concentrate, for at least 30 min. The longer the marinade, the stronger the flavor. If you have time, leave to marinate overnight.
Heat the marinated tempeh in a skillet over medium-low heat until each side turns darker brown (3-5 min.) Add in the marinade juice and let it cook off for deeper flavor.
Choose your favorite sandwich bread (I used good old fashioned rye here) and give it a little extra love with a pat of butter. Use the same skillet to warm up each sandwich half, then add in your favorite sliced cheese (I used Tilsit here but also recommend Raclette or another type of Swiss cheese) and heat to your desired melty consistency.
Take the bread with melted cheese off the skillet and top with Thousand Island (or Russian) dressing, pile on that smoked tempeh, add a heap of sauerkraut and a generous helping of sprouts.
*Want a way to make this even more DIY? Grow your own sprout mix using our sprout kit available for purchase at our Etsy shop.