This beet reuben is really simple and delicious once you have the beets cooked and ready. You can prepare the ingredients well in advance and then pull them from the refrigerator when you’re ready to make a quick sandwich.

For the beets

I modified a recipe from here for the cured beets. Personally, I like to cook the beets and slice them thinly before marinading them and omit the oil from the recipe and substitute water.

• 2 tablespoons cracked black pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon rice or apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup filtered water
• 4 tablespoons maple syrup (mixed with water)
• 6 large beets, cooked and slice thinly with a knife or mandolin

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Peel beets. Wrap each beet in parchment paper and place on baking tray or place into a casserole dish and cover. Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until tender. Allow beets to cool completely. You can bypass this by purchasing precooked beets from a company like Gefen, which is sold at Costco and other grocery outlets.

Slice thinly using a knife or a mandolin. (Makes 4 servings). A mandolin really helps here.

Make the cure in a medium bowl by mixing the pepper, coriander, paprika, salt, and garlic together. Drizzle the maple syrup/water mix over the beets (or beet slices) so that they’re evenly covered; this will allow the cure to stick to them. Liberally coat each beet (or slices) with the cure on both sides and place in a covered container in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. If marinading large, whole beets, divide into quarters.

Cheesy Vegan Russian Dressing

• 1 cup cashews
• 3 cups of filtered water
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons chopped dill pickles or dill relish
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce of your choosing

Soak the cashews in a bowl and cover with 2 cups of filtered water for 1 to 2 hours or longer. For longer soaking time cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator. Drain cashews and place them in your high speed blender along with the 1 cup of water and other ingredients. Blend at high speed until the cashews are creamy. Have additional water ready to make the sauce thinner if desired. If your blender has a tamper, have it on hand as well to ensure thorough blending for thicker dressings.

Other ingredients

• Toasted Rye Bread
• Sauerkraut
• Vegan Cheese slice (optional, you’ll have this covered with the cheesy dressing, but some like more cheesy flavor)

Assembly

This comes together really fast. Drain beet slices, place on toasted rye bread, put drained sauerkraut on top of that and then drizzle on the cheesy dressing. Place bread slice on top and you’re all set. Enjoy – this is delicious and healthy.