Why it works: Rye and caraway share more aroma than cooks usually use. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 87 recipes. Both carry coumarin, which smells sweet, hay. The science ↓
Tofurky Reuben
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Heat the pan or griddle you'll be using to grill the sandwich over medium or medium-low heat.
Spread softened margarine on the outside of the slices of vegan bread, as this makes the fat easier to control.
Assemble and grill
Layer Thousand Island dressing and sauerkraut on one slice of vegan bread, then more dressing, Tofurky and soy cheese on the other slice.
Put the two slices together and place the sandwich on the hot griddle.
Cook until the bread is brown, the sandwich is heated through and the cheese has melted.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 5 of 6 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Rye | 1 slice (32g) | 83 |
| Soy Sauce | 1 tbsp (15ml) | 9 |
| Caraway Seed | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Rye + carawaytop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together87 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
Bread + cheesetop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,130 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Rye + breadtop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together59 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
-
Rye + cheesetop 25% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together34 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
-
Bread + carawaytop 29% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together26 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Rye vegan bread
- Provides the sturdy structure that holds the fillings and browns in the pan.
- Margarine
- Adds fat that crisps the outside of the bread and promotes even browning.
- Sauerkraut (in the method)
- Adds acidity and tang that cuts through the richness of the dressing and cheese.
- Soy cheese
- Melts into a creamy layer that binds the fillings together.
- Tofurky deli slices
- Supply the main savory, meaty filling in place of traditional corned beef.
The step that matters
Grilling over medium or medium-low heat. Too high a heat browns the bread before the cheese melts and the filling warms through, leaving the center cold. Moderate heat lets the interior heat gently while the crust toasts evenly.
Swap the caraway
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (rye, bread, cheese):
- Thymefits better
- Nutmegfits better
- Capersfits better
- Carawaythe original
Fit is the average pairing score against rye, bread, cheese. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
You might also like
Brown Bread461 recipes
Macaroni and Cheese102 recipes
White Bread80 recipes
Bread Omelette60 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.