Vegan pastrami sandwich
This veganized beloved sandwich is high in protein, healthier and will fool everyone!
Equipment
- grilled pan to perfectly grill the bread slices.
- A large vegetable peeler or sharp knife to make thin deli tofu slices. 34
Ingredients
- 1 14oz extra firm tofu frozen and thawed
- slices of rye or sourdough bread
- slices of vegan cheddar cheese (Chao, Vitopia, Daiya..)
Vegan Thousand Island dressing
- 1 cup vegan mayo
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp sweet relish
- 1 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar
- pinch salt
Marinade
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth + 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp white vinegar or pickled juice
- 3-4 Tbsp beet juice, powder or 2 drops of red food dye
- 1-2 drops of liquid smoke
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- pinch of salt
Slaw
- 1 large carrot peeled and shredded
- 3 cups thinly sliced cabbage
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Make the Thousand Island dressing
- Whisk 1 cup vegan mayonnaise, 1/4 cup of ketchup, 2 tbsp sweet relish, 1 tsp white vinegar, 1 tsp salt. Set aside.
Prepare the marinade
- In a blender, add 1/2 cup vegetable broth, 1 heaping tbsp dijon mustard, 1 tbsp white miso paste, 1-2 drops of liquid smoke, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 3-4 tbsp of beet juice, powder or 2-3 drops of red dye. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Taste and adjust if needed.
Prepare the Tofu
- Freeze a 14 oz package of extra firm tofu until hard (overnight). Next day, thaw it out.
- Press to remove extra liquid using a clean kitchen towel.
- Using a wide peeler or a very sharp knife, make thin slices. You should be able to make 25-28 slices.
- Pour some of the marinade in a rectangular dish and add a few slices, add more marinade, and continue until all the slices are covered. Refrigerate a few hours.
- Place a silicon mat or some parchment paper on a baking sheet. Place each slice on the sheet leaving a little space in between each slice.
- Bake at 425F for 20 minutes, then flip each slice and bake for another 8-10 minutes. Set aside.
Putting it together
- Mix some of the thousand island dressing with the sliced cabbage and julienned carrot. Set aside.
- Brush some vegan butter on one side of each slice of bread.
- Spread some of the thousand island dressing and a little mustard on the other side.
- Heat up the grill skillet on medium heat and place the slices with the butter side down.
- Place 1 slice of vegan cheese, two layers of the pastrami slices, some of the cabbage and carrot slaw, and finish with another slice of cheese.
- Top with the other slice. Use a spatula to press down the sandwich as it grills a few minutes on each side.
- Repeat for the other sandwiches.
- Serve with pickles or gherkins, chips or fries.