easy smoked beets – Twice as Tasty

For most of my life, the Reuben was a sandwich I knew of but never ate, put off by the corned beef even when I was eating meat. That all changed when I was introduced to a vegetarian replacement for the core layer, as I explain this week in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon.

With smoked beets standing in for corned beef, this Reuben retains its classic layers of contrasting flavors: earthy rye bread, a creamy and zesty dressing, puckery sauerkraut, and nutty cheese. The beets impart their own rich smoky flavor when you make this sandwich with store-bought ingredients, but the layers taste even more delicious when you make some or all of them using recipes I’ve shared in my column and The Complete Guide to Pickling.

The Russian dressing is the easiest homemade upgrade. Despite its name, this sauce is an American invention that typically relies on ketchup and mayonnaise, spiked with horseradish. The recipe I developed—and share in this week’s column, along with other from-scratch fillings with long shelf lives—mixes the horseradish with yogurt or sour cream, vinegar, and Smoky Homemade Chili Paste for extra zing.
Learn to make Vegetarian Smoked-Beet Reuben

I was introduced to smoked beets as a sandwich filling, and it’s still one of my favorite ways to enjoy them. As I’ve been explaining in my most recent Twice as Tasty columns for the Flathead Beacon, beets need to be cooked—preferably roasted—and peeled before you smoke them, so it is an extra step. But smoking makes them twice as tasty.

The flavor and texture of smoked beets make them a natural fit for a Vegetarian Smoked-Beet Reuben, but you can slide them in with any sandwich fixings you have at hand. They hold up well against robust ingredients, so the recipe in this week’s column suggests mustard, roasted garlic, goat cheese, and arugula and other spicy greens. Mellower layers include aioli, egg salad, and sliced avocado. Create an even more filling sandwich by spreading on hummus or another bean dip.
Learn to make Goat Cheese and Smoked-Beet Sandwiches