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    Home » Recipes » Vegan Recipes

    Vegan Reuben Salad

    Published: Aug 14, 2022 · Modified: Apr 24, 2023 by Dianne · This post may contain affiliate links

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    Vegan Reuben Salad with text overlay
    Vegan Reuben Salad with text overlay
    Vegan Reuben Salad with text overlay
    Vegan Reuben Salad with text overlay

    Loaded with tempeh bacon and sauerkraut and drenched in non-dairy Thousdand Island dressing, this vegan Reuben salad is a terrific light meal for the summer. It's a healthy take on a favorite sandwich! This easy recipe is vegan and gluten-free.

    Vegan Reuben Salad with text overlay

    Reuben Sandwiches

    I’ve never actually had a non-vegan Reuben sandwich. I went vegetarian sometime around my 21st birthday, and I just wasn’t that daring with new foods before that. Typically, they’re made with corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dessing on rye bread. None of that sounded appealing to the younger version of me, except maybe the Swiss cheese.

    When I make Reuben sandwiches at home, I typically use marinated tempeh or tempeh bacon along with store-bought sauerkraut and my own Thousand Island Dressing. I’ll use whatever bread I have on hand, which is usually sprouted grain bread, and sometimes I might add a little vegan cheese, if I happen to have some in the fridge.

    Reuben Salad with chickpeas and dressing

    Vegan Reuben Salad

    Another way I like to enjoy a Reuben is in salad form. I can’t say the idea is original, because I took it from Terry Hope Romero’s brilliant book Salad Samurai. But I’ve tweaked the recipe quite a bit over the years.

    My Reuben salad is pretty simple. It’s made with chopped lettuce and cabbage, sauerkraut, tempeh bacon, and Thousand Island Dressing.

    two salads overhead with dressing, chickpeas, tomatoes, and lemon

    When I first started making this salad, I used bread croutons. Now I like to use roasted chickpeas. In fact, I use roasted chickpeas in almost all of my salads. They’re super tasty, and they’re far more nutritious than dried bread.

    While I say in the recipe that this makes four servings, I will admit that Dennis and polish the whole thing off in one meal!

    sauerkraut

    What is Sauerkraut?

    I originally created this recipe a few years ago after Dennis had to take a round of antibiotics. I was upping our intake of fermented foods, such as kimchi and sauerkraut, to restore his gut flora.

    Sauerkraut is simply fermented cabbage. Sometimes it’s made with carrots or apples, and it can be seasoned with caraway seeds or juniper berries. It originally hails from China, but the name is actually German. Today when we think of sauerkraut, we often think of Eastern European foods, and it’s frequently used in Polish and Russian cooking.

    big bowl of reuben salad

    If you’re buying sauerkraut for its probiotic properties, I recommend getting a brand that’s stored in the refrigerator section at the grocery store. There are some shelf stable varieties, but they’re often made with a quick ferment, which means they don’t have the same health properties that those made with a longer fermentation process have. I usually buy Bubbies sauerkraut.

    sauerkraut, thousand island dressing, tempeh bacon, romaine lettuce, cabbage, and roasted chickpeas

    What You Need

    You only need a few ingredients to make this salad

    • Romaine lettuce
    • Red cabbage
    • Sauerkraut
    • Thousand Island Dressing
    • Tempeh bacon
    • Garlicky roasted chickpeas

    See recipe card for exact amounts.

    making reuben salad
    mixing salad

    How to Make Vegan Reuben Salad

    This salad is really easy to make, especially if you have remade ingredients on hand.

    • First you throw the lettuce, cabbage, and sauerkraut together in a bowl.
    • Then you top it with dressing, tempeh bacon, and roasted chickpeas.
    • And your salad is done!
    pouring dressing on salad

    Recipe Notes

    I like to use homemade ingredients for this salad, but you can use store-bought to save time.

    Instead of garlicky roasted chickpeas, you can use store-bought crispy chickpeas. I like Biena and Saffron Road.

    Instead of making your own salad dressing, you can use a store-bought dressing. Try Follow Your Heart or Mill It.

    If you don't want to make your own tempeh bacon, you can use Lightlife's Smoky Tempeh Strips or Tofurky's Marinated Smoky Maple Bacon Tempeh Strips. Make sure you cook your store-bought tempeh bacon before adding to the salad.

    If you follow a gluten-free diet, make sure your tempeh (or tempeh bacon) is gluten-free.

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    close up of reuben salad square

    Reuben Salad

    Dianne
    Loaded with tempeh bacon and sauerkraut and drenched in non-dairy Thousdand Island dressing, this vegan Reuben salad is a terrific light meal for the summer. It's a healthy take on a favorite sandwich!
    This recipe makes 4 medium-sized salads or 2 big meal-sized salads
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Course Salad
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 217 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 large head romaine lettuce or two romaine hearts, coarsely chopped
    • 2 cups red cabbage, coarsely chopped (about ¼ of a head of cabbage)
    • 2 cups sauerkraut, well drained
    • 1 cup Thousand Island Dressing
    • 1 recipe Tempeh Bacon
    • 1 cup Garlicky Chickpeas

    Instructions
     

    • Mix the romaine, shredded cabbage, and sauerkraut together in a large bowl. Top with the Thousand Island Dressing, Tempeh Bacon, and Garlicky Chickpeas.
    Calories: 217kcal
    Tried this recipe?Tag @diannewenz on Instagram!
    reuben salad overhead with chickpeas, garlic, lemon, tomatoes, and dressing

    More salad recipes you might also like include:

    • Tahini Kale Salad with Garlicky Chickpeas
    • Asparagus and Arugula Farro Salad
    • Strawberry Kale Salad
    • Kale Caesar with Roasted Chickpeas
    kale caesar in large bowl with dressing, parmesan, tomatoes, lemons, and garlic
    « Garlicky Roasted Chickpeas
    Hawaiian BBQ Tofu Bowl »

    About Dianne

    Dianne Wenz is a Certified Holistic Health Coach, Vegan Lifestyle Coach, Plant-Based Diet Nutrition Specialist, and Plant-Based Chef, as well as the author of Truly Healthy Vegan Cookbook.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Linda from Veganosity

      August 28, 2018 at 3:16 pm

      This is such a great idea! I love vegan Reuben, but it's even better in salad form!

    2. Dianne

      August 28, 2018 at 3:45 pm

      Thank you, Linda!

    3. Cadry

      August 28, 2018 at 4:56 pm

      This sounds like everything I like - all in one convenient bowl. I've been adding sauerkraut to salads a lot lately, and roasted chickpeas make any salad better. So much yum!

    4. Dianne

      August 28, 2018 at 5:11 pm

      Thanks, Cadry! I had a feeling you'd like this recipe!

    5. Nicole Dawson

      August 28, 2018 at 10:32 pm

      What a brilliant idea! I could eat several bowls of this salad.

    6. Dianne

      August 29, 2018 at 9:07 am

      Thank you, Nicole!

    7. Alisa Fleming

      August 29, 2018 at 3:02 pm

      I've never actually had a Reuben, but I love Thousand Island. So I think I need to give this a try.

    8. Dianne

      August 29, 2018 at 5:30 pm

      If you like Thousand Island, I think you'll love a Reuben!

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    Hi! I'm Dianne Wenz, a Board-Certified Health Vegan Health and Lifestyle Coach. I empower my clients to build new habits so they can reach their healthy living goals. I love to show others how easy it is to live a vegan lifestyle as well as how to cook deliciously easy plant-based meals. Contact me today to learn more and to schedule a complimentary breakthrough session!

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