A Reuben is corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian or Thousand Island dressing, grilled between rye bread. This takes all of that, keeps the rye as a crouton, and turns the rest into a chopped salad over shredded cabbage. You get every flavor of the sandwich with a fork, and it is a lot lighter.
It is a good way to use a small amount of leftover corned beef, and it is a genuine crowd dish for a party because it holds well and everyone recognizes the flavor.
Why It Works: The Sandwich, Deconstructed
A Reuben is a balance of salty meat, nutty melted cheese, sour kraut, and a sweet, tangy dressing, all against toasted rye. Break it into a salad and each of those elements is still there, just in a different shape. Cabbage stands in for the structural role the bread played, and toasted rye cubes bring the bread flavor back as texture.
Draining the sauerkraut hard is the key technical step. Straight from the jar it carries too much liquid and will thin the dressing and water down the salad. Squeeze it in a towel until it stops dripping.
Chopped Reuben Salad
Serves 4 as a main. Prep 20 minutes, cook 10 minutes for the croutons, total about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 4 cups thinly shredded green cabbage, about half a small head
- 2 cups shredded romaine
- 8 ounces cooked corned beef or pastrami, diced
- 4 ounces Swiss cheese, diced
- 1 cup sauerkraut, drained and squeezed very dry
- 3 slices rye bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, optional
- 2 tablespoons chopped dill pickle
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or parsley
- 1/2 cup Thousand Island dressing, plus more to taste
- Black pepper
Method
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss the rye cubes with the oil, caraway seeds, and a pinch of salt on a sheet pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until crisp and dry. Cool.
- Shred the cabbage and romaine as thin as you can and combine in a large bowl.
- Dice the corned beef and Swiss to a rough half inch. Squeeze the sauerkraut in a clean towel until it stops dripping, then chop it roughly.
- Add the corned beef, Swiss, sauerkraut, chopped pickle, and dill to the bowl with the cabbage.
- Add the Thousand Island dressing and toss thoroughly. Taste and add more dressing, black pepper, or a little pickle brine until it tastes like a Reuben.
- Just before serving, fold in most of the rye croutons and scatter the rest over the top so they stay crisp.
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
- Calories 480
- Fat 32 g
- Carbohydrates 24 g
- Protein 26 g
- Sodium 1420 mg
Tips and Variations
Turkey pastrami or smoked turkey makes a lighter version, closer to a Rachel than a Reuben.
For a vegetarian bowl, leave out the meat, double the Swiss or use a sharp cheddar, and add a can of drained white beans.
Swiss can be swapped for Gruyere or Jarlsberg. A few thin slices of Emmental folded in melt slightly against the other ingredients.
Make the salad base and dressing ahead and keep them separate. Combine, then add the croutons, within half an hour of serving.
The Dressing
Thousand Island is the dressing that makes this taste like a Reuben and not just a cabbage salad. The homemade recipe, with the ketchup, relish, and a touch of hot sauce that lift it above the bottled version, is on the Thousand Island dressing recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Thousand Island and Russian dressing?
They are close cousins. Russian dressing is usually sharper, with horseradish and more heat. Thousand Island is a little sweeter and often has chopped pickle or relish and egg. Either one is correct on a Reuben. This salad uses Thousand Island.
How do I keep the salad from being watery?
Squeeze the sauerkraut until it is genuinely dry, and shred the cabbage and dress it close to serving time. Cabbage releases water once salted or dressed, so it should not sit dressed for hours.
Can I use raw beef or does it need to be cooked?
It needs to be fully cooked corned beef or pastrami, the kind sold sliced at the deli counter or a piece you braised yourself. This is an assembly salad, nothing gets cooked in it except the croutons.
Do I have to toast the rye?
Yes, or it turns to paste in the dressing. Toasted rye cubes bring the bread flavor and a crunch that the salad needs. Toast them dry and hard.
Is this good for a party?
Very. It holds better than most salads, the flavor is familiar, and it scales up easily. Keep the croutons on the side and let people add them so a big bowl does not go soft.
Tools for the Job
- A sharp chef knife for shredding cabbage fine and dicing the meat and cheese evenly
- A large cutting board to handle the cabbage without it going everywhere
- A large mixing bowl for tossing a full batch
- A serving bowl big enough to bring it to the table in one piece
More Salads
Cobb Salad, Italian Chopped Salad, Wedge Salad, and the full salad recipe collection.
Who Is Writing This
Chef Alan Guerin spent 35 years in professional kitchens, from fine dining rooms to hotels and catering, and earned the Four Diamond distinction six times. He built Wine Drop Cookery to put that experience into plain guides anyone can cook from. More about Chef Alan.