Rachel sandwich with seitan chicken & coleslaw

Few things make me happier than a good reuben sandwich.

Whether it’s made with corned jackfruit, corned “beef” seitan, or plopped into a nourish bowl, it’s a melding of flavors that takes me to my happy place every time.

If you’re similarly enthralled with a reuben sandwich, you’re going to love this veganized variation of a Rachel sandwich!

In this post:

A Rachel sandwich is a cousin to the reuben.

It’s also known as a California or Georgia reuben.

While a traditional reuben sandwich uses pastrami & sauerkraut, a Rachel is typically made with turkey and coleslaw.

It’s then toasted on rye bread with melty Swiss cheese & Thousand Island dressing.

Since this is a vegan version of a Rachel sandwich, I make a few substitutions.

Instead of turkey, I use thin slices of homemade seitan chicken.

It’s seasoned with basil, oregano, onion powder, and garlic. It has a wonderful toothsome texture.

For the coleslaw, I use my favorite vegan coleslaw recipe.

It’s really quick & easy to make thanks to the shortcut of pre-shredded cabbage mix. It includes both purple and green cabbage as well as carrots.

For the dressing, I make a simple Thousand Island with eggless mayo, ketchup, diced pickles, and lemon juice.

If you’d rather use store-bought, that works too!

(This recipe makes more vegan Thousand Island than you’ll need for one sandwich. Use any leftovers on a vegan cheeseburger pizza or jackfruit reuben!)

Step by step instructions

Here’s how to make this recipe at a glance. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.

Combine all of the salad dressing ingredients in a bowl.

Then butter two slices of bread on one side with non-dairy butter.

Put the slices into a skillet butter side down on a medium heat.

Add a sprinkling of non-dairy cheese to both pieces of bread.

(I use vegan mozzarella, but any meltable non-dairy cheese will work!)

On one of the bread slices, add sliced seitan chicken, a generous helping of coleslaw, and vegan Thousand Island dressing.

Add the top piece of bread to the sandwich.

Flip the sandwich to make sure it’s evenly toasted on both sides.

Then remove it from the pan & cut it on a diagonal.

It’s easy to make this sandwich your own by simplifying or changing the ingredients.

• Instead of seitan chicken, use store-bought vegan deli slices. Tofurky hickory smoked deli slices would go well here.
• If you’re making this sandwich around the fall or winter holidays, use leftovers from a vegan holiday roast like a re-vamp of a leftovers sandwich.
• Use sauerkraut instead of coleslaw.
• Use store-bought vegan Thousand Island dressing instead of making your own.
• Use any shredded non-dairy cheese you like or replace it with sliced avocado.
• Add sautéed onions, bell peppers, or pickled jalapeños for more vegetable goodness.
• Instead of rye bread, use whole wheat, have it as a wrap in a tortilla, or on a toasted baguette.

A Rachel sandwich is so filling, it’s basically a full meal on its own.

But you can round it out with any of these tasty side dishes:

• Baked fries or vegan poutine
• Fried pickles or fried zucchini
• Vegan pasta salad
• Air fryer kale chips (or oven baked)
• Spinach salad with strawberries

📖 Recipe

Rachel sandwich with seitan chicken & coleslaw

Author: Cadry Nelson

5 from 2 votes

Here's a vegan take on a Rachel sandwich. Thinly sliced seitan is added to toasted rye bread with melty non-dairy cheese & Thousand Island dressing. There's a pop of flavor & crunch in every bite!

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 person

Course: Sandwich

Cuisine: American, Vegan

Keyword: hot sandwich, toasted sandwich

Ingredients

For the vegan Thousand Island dressing

• ▢ 2 Tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon ketchup
• ▢ ½ teaspoon lemon juice
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon finely chopped dill pickles

For the Rachel sandwich

• ▢ 1 Tablespoon non-dairy butter
• ▢ 2 slices marbled rye bread
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons shredded non-dairy cheese I use mozzarella
• ▢ Several thin slices seitan chicken about 2 ounces
• ▢ Heaping ¼ cup vegan coleslaw
• ▢ 1 to 2 Tablespoons vegan Thousand Island dressing

Instructions

To make vegan Thousand Island dressing

• ▢
  In a small bowl, combine vegan mayonnaise, ketchup, lemon juice, and finely chopped dill pickles. Set aside.

  (This is enough dressing for four sandwiches. If you're only making one sandwich, put the rest in a covered container and refrigerate.)

To make the Rachel sandwich

• ▢
  Bring a large skillet to a medium heat. Butter both slices of rye bread with non-dairy butter on one side. Put the slices into the skillet butter side down.
• ▢
  Add a sprinkling of non-dairy cheese to the bread slices.
• ▢
  Add several thin slices of seitan chicken to one piece of bread.
• ▢
  Top it with a heaping ¼ cup of coleslaw.
• ▢
  Finish with a drizzling of vegan Thousand Island dressing.
• ▢
  Top the sandwich with the remaining toasted bread slice. Flip the sandwich with a spatula, so that it's evenly browned on both sides.

  If the cheese hasn't melted enough, turn the heat to low, and cover the skillet with a lid until the cheese melts completely.
• ▢
  Once the cheese has melted, remove the sandwich from the skillet, and cut it diagonally.

Notes

If you don’t want to make seitan from scratch, use your favorite vegan deli slices.

Any shredded non-dairy cheese will work for this recipe. I’m especially fond of mozzarella here.

There’s enough Thousand Island dressing for four sandwiches. If you’re only making one sandwich, keep the remaining dressing in a covered container in the refrigerator. You can use it on vegan cheeseburger pizza or a jackfruit reuben.

Subscribe to Cadry’s KitchenSign up today! JOIN BY CLICKING HERE

Nutrition

Calories: 532kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 1316mg | Potassium: 156mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 55IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 3mg