The “Rudy”, a Reuben inspired salad incorporating raw sauerkraut, pickles, quinoa, banana peppers, tomatoes, a choice of lean meat, and, of course, Thousand Island dressing.
As I have aspired toward a healthier eating plan, I have eliminated or decreased meats, milk, and bread while increasing the proportion of plants and fermented foods in my diet. This eating has improved the way I feel and reduced the inflammation I was experiencing in my joints. Sometimes, though, I miss the foods I long enjoyed. Luckily, I have found several opportunities to twist several ingredients I love into meals which are a bit healthier.
Twist an Old Favorite into Something New
One love of mine is Thousand Island dressing. My infatuation travels all the way back to childhood. I remember making it from scratch when I was a kid. I think the salad was okay, but the dressing was delicious. Later on, when I first encountered a Reuben sandwich, I found a new food to enjoy, sauerkraut. All of the flavors worked so well together, it was like a symphony in my mouth.
Recently, I stumbled upon the most delectable combination. I have been eating a lot of salads and one of the toppings I have been adding is fermented vegetables, like cabbage and pickles. One day, I paired that combination with Thousand Island and started me dreaming of the last time I had a Reuben sandwich. Voila, an idea for a sensational new salad was born! Come along and let’s make one together.
Constructing a healthier version of a Reuben in salad form starts with finding substitutes for the bread and the corned beef. In my version, I inserted quinoa instead of rye bread and a small portion of lean chicken for the normally heftier portion of corned beef. The other key ingredient in our salad is the raw, fermented vegetables, a probiotic superfood. These ingredients provide delicious taste and nutritional benefits to your diet while limiting fat and simple carbs.
Here’s the key to this tasty combination: the sweet and savory dressing complements the saltiness and sourness of the pickles, peppers, and sauerkraut. As I found out when I turned lemons into licorice, sometimes the combinations work and sometimes, they do not. In this case, the taste combination works beautifully and creates the foundational flavors to construct the rest of the salad.
Assembly Instructions
- Fill a salad bowl liberally with your favorite greens
- Chop a lean protein, like turkey or chicken. I target 4 ounces
- Add quinoa (3.5-ounce portion contains 4.4 grams of protein)
- Add fermented raw sauerkraut and/or fermented pickles
- Chop up a slice of Swiss cheese
- Banana peppers and fresh tomatoes add color, crispness, and freshness
- Finish with the sweet and zesty Thousand Island dressing
When consuming fermented vegetables, do try to buy them in raw form versus canned. The canning process uses a great deal of heat which kills all of the beneficial bacteria. You can either buy raw sauerkraut and pickles at a whole foods grocery or make them yourself. If you buy raw sauerkraut at the store, look for a brand similar to what I buy (below, right), which is found in the refrigerated section.
If you enjoy them from the store, you will love them made fresh at home. My article on fermenting vegetables provides the background plus tips and tricks to make your own. Fermentation requires patience and experimentation, but the results are worth it.
Create Your Own Salad Sensation
There you have it. This salad incorporates the taste of sauerkraut, pickles, Swiss cheese, and Thousand Island dressing you love when you order a Reuben. Substituting chicken/turkey and quinoa for the corned beef and rye bread, respectively, saves calories and limits simple carbohydrates and saturated fat. You do not sacrifice too much protein, either.
If you enjoy this creation, try incorporating these great foods into your diet! There are many different healthy ingredients to build new meal ideas. Once you start to feel the benefits of eating more healthy meals, you will naturally be motivated to crave more of the best nutritional foods.
Always Be Experimenting!