Whole Heart Provisions was a favorite vegan restaurant of my husband and I when we lived in Boston. They had this killer beet Reuben, but only for Sunday brunch. When we moved out of the city we both really missed it, so I decided to try and make my own on St. Patty’s Day. It came out SO GOOD, just bursting with flavor. I was told it was the best thing I’ve ever made! It’s really hard to mess up when each ingredient on its own brings so much to the table: the marble rye bread, fermented sauerkraut, Russian dressing, and gruyere. When thinking about what makes corned beef so unique, it’s all about the spices, which are mostly Ayurvedic. Braising the beets with these potent spices makes the bright fuchsia filling surprisingly legit and much much better on your body.
Ingredients for 2:
Beets
2 medium beets
1 T extra virgin olive oil, or ghee
1 tsp CCF (cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds—if you don’t have this already mixed up then use a big pinch of each)
½ tsp nigela seeds (black cumin)
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp black pepper
⅛ tsp asofetida (a very strong and heating spice that’s used in place of garlic and onions, find it online here)
¼ cup water
½ tsp salt
marble rye sliced bread
sauerkraut
gruyere cheese, shredded (or omit for vegan version)
ghee or oil for frying
Russian dressing
1/4 cup vegan mayo
2 T horseradish
1 T ketchup
Method:
Get the beets going. Leave a couple inches of the top so you have something to hold. Then peel them with a vegetable peeler and shred them with a box grater. You can also use a food processor (in that case don’t leave the tops on).
Make a “dry curry”: heat up the olive oil on medium heat, then add the whole spices first: the cumin/coriander/fennel seeds, nigella, and mustard. Cook them for a couple minutes until fragrant and beginning to pop. Then add the rest of the powdered spices and stir to toast about 30 seconds.
Add the beets and sauté a couple minutes to coat them and brown a little. Add 1/4 cup of water and cover with a lid. Cook for about 15 minutes while you prep the other ingredients.
Make your Russian dressing, shred the gruyere, and get the kraut and bread out.
When the beets are done, heat up a cast iron pan or large heavy bottom skillet. Melt some ghee and coat 2 slices of bread on both sides. Working with the “inside” of the bread, spread the Russian dressing on one slice. On the other, sprinkle the cheese, then the beets, then kraut. Place the Russian slice of bread on top and continue to cook like it’s a grilled cheese.
Slice in half and serve with a deli pickle :)
