Roasted Vegetable Reubens With Jenny Rosenstrach

Instead of all-or-nothing, this part-time vegetarian urges cooks to consider easing in gently.

You probably know people who are happily vegetarian or vegan, and other people who will never go there. But a lot of us are somewhere in the middle, aiming to eat more vegetable-focused meals, even if we’re not swearing off meat every night.

This week’s podcast guest, Jenny Rosenstrach, offers wonderful resources for part-time plant-based eating, including her recent cookbook, The Weekday Vegetarians Get Simple. (She’s also here on Substack at

Dinner: A Love Story

.)

The book is encouraging and problem-solving; Jenny says she wanted to clearly communicate that vegetarian eating “doesn't have to be perfect, you just have to start somewhere.” She tackles common complaints from folks who aren’t convinced that vegetarian food can be warm-your-bones comfort food, that vegetarian food can be protein-rich, that vegetarian food can be easy and flavorful.

Photo: Christine Han

In this episode of The Dinner Plan, I spoke with Jenny about how her family slowly eased into more vegetarian eating, how to make winter salads hearty and delicious, and why you should always have a block of pre-baked tofu in your fridge.

We also talked about her show-stopping vegetable reuben, layered with melty cheese, roasted broccoli, and brussels sprouts, and a creamy, slightly smoky Russian dressing—scroll down for the full recipe.

Notes and links from Jenny

Creamy Peanutty Cabbage and Tofu
Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
White Bean Soup With Croutons and Shaggy Kale Pesto (Jenny’s recipe excerpted on Edible Living)
Crispy Honey-Harissa Glazed Chickpea Bowls (Jenny’s recipe on Cup of Jo)
Cheesy Artichoke Pizza
Priya Krishna’s Khichdi from Indian-ish (adapted by Priya for BA here)
Fried Rice from The Wok by J. Kenji López-Alt (reprinted on Dinner, a Love Story)
Nigel Slater’s Greenfeast series (choose Autumn, Winter and/or Spring, Summer)
Melissa Clark’s Dinner: Changing the Game, especially the crispy tofu with ginger and greens
Lukas Volger’s riff on Jenny’s Pasta With Creamy Artichoke Sauce and Crispy Capers

Get the list here.

A favor to ask

Every episode of The Dinner Plan wraps up with a voice memo from a listener, and we need yours!

Record a voice memo on your phone, telling us your first name, location, and six to eight ingredients in your fridge, pantry, or freezer. Email it to thedinnerplanpod@gmail.com.

We’ll come up with a dinner idea specifically for you. In the meantime, how about an epic sandwich?

Roasted Vegetable Reubens

Reprinted from The Weekday Vegetarians Get Simple, Copyright © 2024 by Jenny Rosenstrach. Photographs copyright © 2024 by Eva Kolenko. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Crown Publishing Group.

Under 30 minutes
Makes 4 sandwiches

Is it heresy to call something a Reuben if there is no corned beef anywhere to be found? Maybe, but I’m not sure I care—my daughter Abby first made one of these for me (yes, another one of her creations, this one inspired by a TikTok video) and they are about as good as what they’re riffing on. They’re equally satisfying if you stick to one vegetable—all Brussels sprouts or all broccoli. Just make sure whichever you are using, that it gets cooked to deep brown roastiness.

Ingredients
4 cups broccoli florets
4 cups trimmed and quartered Brussels sprouts (roughly the same size as the broccoli florets)
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
8 ounces Gruyère cheese, thinly sliced or grated
Russian Dressing (recipe follows)
8 slices rye bread, lightly toasted
About ½ cup prepared sauerkraut, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with foil or parchment paper.

2. Spread the broccoli and Brussels sprouts on the lined sheet pan and, using your hands, toss with the olive oil, and salt and pepper. Roast until very well cooked and crispy, about 20 minutes. (A few burned Brussels leaves are fine.)

3. Remove the sheet pan from the oven and gather the vegetables in 4 mounds, each about the size of the bread you will be serving them on. Set the oven to broil.

4. Top each pile of vegetables with one-quarter of the Gruyère and broil until the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 1 minute. Remove from the oven.

5. Spread as much dressing as you’d like on four of the toast slices. Using a spatula, lift up the mound of cheesy vegetables and place on top of the dressed toast. Top with sauerkraut and the remaining slice of toast. Halve and serve.

Russian Dressing

Makes 2/3 cup

Ingredients
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped bread-and-butter pickles
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon finely chopped white onion
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, chopped pickles, ketchup, onion, smoked paprika, and salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until needed. (It will keep for 7 to 10 days.)

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