If you’re wondering what to serve with your sushi, you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, I list 51 of the most popular side dishes for sushi.
In a rush? Here’s the short answer.
The best dishes to serve with sushi are Japanese pickled ginger, kani salad, mushroom gyozas, miso soup, seaweed salad, and vegetable tempura. You can also go with chili edamame, agedashi tofu, ebi fry, cold soba noodle salad, or blistered shishito peppers. For dessert, try matcha mochi.
Ready? Let’s jump right in.
Japanese restaurant favorites
Pair your sushi platter with these classic dishes for the ultimate Japanese feast!
I always have a bowl of miso soup and tempura with my sushi, but you can also go with a platter of gyozas or crispy Japanese pancake (okonomiyaki).
Kani salad
This vibrant salad is a popular home-cooked meal in Japan but has become a staple in American Japanese restaurants.
It’s also effortless to make from scratch.
All the ingredients are easily accessible, and there’s zero cooking involved, just lots of knife work.
Pssst… skip the California rolls when making this salad – they’re made with the same ingredients minus the rice.
Why we love this recipe: it’s impossible to mess up.
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Kani salad
Make it meatless
Mango slaw
Go Thai
Spicy Thai mango salad
Mushroom gyozas
Beef up your sushi meal with a platter of these mushroom gyozas.
You get the best of both worlds with these Japanese dumplings.
They’re first fried to get a crispy bottom, then steamed in the same pan to finish cooking.
The gyozas are filled with a mixture of shiitake and button mushrooms, but you can also make shrimp or pork gyozas.
Why we love this recipe: they’re way better than store-bought potstickers.
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Mushroom gyozas
Make a copycat
Homemade vegetable egg rolls
Make a favorite
Crab rangoons
Miso soup
Start your sushi dinner right with a bowl of piping hot miso soup.
It may look plain, but this classic soup packs a flavorful punch thanks to umami-loaded miso paste and dashi broth.
This recipe uses white miso paste for its mild taste, but if you want a bolder, richer soup, go with red miso paste.
Why we love this recipe: it’s pure comfort in a bowl.
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Miso soup
Make another classic
Clear soup (matsutake suimono)
Make it hearty
Miso noodle soup
Vegetable tempura
Vegetable tempura is a must-have for any Japanese-inspired feast.
It’s easy to make, but you need to make sure the batter is cold to get the best texture.
This will help you achieve that iconic crispy, airy coating without the extra grease.
Enjoy fresh-off-the-fryer vegetable tempura alongside your sushi platter for a crunchy contrast.
Why we love this recipe: it’s highly detailed and has lots of tips and tricks to help you perfect tempura.
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Vegetable tempura
Skip the batter
Fried enoki mushrooms
Ditch the stovetop
Roasted oyster mushrooms
Agedashi tofu
If you’re looking for a crunchy side dish that’s not tempura, try this agedashi tofu.
Instead of a batter, the tofu cubes are coated in cornstarch and then deep-fried, giving them a golden crust.
But what makes this dish extra tasty is its sweet and sticky umami loaded sauce. YUM.
Why we love this recipe: it’s as good as what you’d get in a Japanese restaurant.
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Agedashi tofu
Make it effortless
Japanese cold tofu
Make it different
Tofu karaage
Tuna tataki
Tuna tataki is an excellent addition to your sushi meal.
You need to VERY quickly sear the tuna in a sizzling hot pan to give the fish a lightly golden, crisp crust while keeping the inside raw.
Enjoy this with your sushi and ponzu sauce (or one of these ponzu sauce substitutes).
Why we love this recipe: it’s restaurant-worthy.
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Tuna tataki
Make it fancy
Sesame-crusted ahi tuna
Make a favorite
Tuna tartare
Ebi fry
Ebi fry is another crunchy side dish you can serve with your sushi rolls.
It’s similar to tempura shrimp, but uses batter AND panko breadcrumbs to ensure an extra crunchy coating.
It also means the coating won’t go soggy as quickly.
Psst… use the biggest shrimp you can find to achieve a good ratio of shrimp-to-panko coating.
Why we love this recipe: they’re excellent for bento boxes.
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Ebi fry
Make it tropical
Coconut shrimp
Make it different
Shrimp tempura
Vegetables and salads
Sushi can get pretty heavy because of the rice, so why not keep the meal light with these veggie sides and salads?
Traditional Japanese spinach salad is a quick and easy option, but you can also try a seaweed-based salad if you want a unique dish.
And you can’t go wrong with roasted edamame when it comes to sushi!
Seaweed salad
Looking for a new salad to try? Look no further than this Japanese-style seaweed salad.
It’s packed with vitamins and essential minerals like iodine, zinc, and iron, thanks to the superfood seaweed.
Plus it’s dressed with a soy and sesame dressing that pairs superbly with your sushi rolls.
Why we love this recipe: it’s a great starting point to enjoy an underrated veg.
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Seaweed salad
Skip the seaweed
Nori Caesar salad
Back to basics
Japanese spinach salad with sesame dressing
Cold soba noodle salad
Want a heartier salad with your sushi rolls? You can go wrong with this cold noodle salad.
It features a thick, rich sesame-miso dressing that perfectly clings to the noodles, ensuring each bite is loaded with savory goodness.
And the soba noodles add a delightful nutty twist that blends well with the dressing.
Pro-tip: keep a close eye on the soba noodles as they cook – they don’t need too long.
Why we love this recipe: it’s great for packed lunches and picnics.
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Cold soba noodle salad
Make it spicy
Spicy peanut soba noodle salad
Skip the soba
Udon noodle salad
Garlic chili spicy edamame
This edamame side dish is an excellent accompaniment to your sushi rolls.
The edamame pods are steamed, but the highlight of this dish is the vibrant chili garlic sauce.
It’s a simple sauce that thoroughly coats the pods, making each bite fiery. And if you don’t have chili garlic sauce, check out these substitutes.
Pro tip: this recipe calls for pre-cooked edamame, but you can always use frozen ones.
Why we love this recipe: these are highly addictive.
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Garlic chili spicy edamame
Preheat the oven
Sesame soy roasted edamame
Make a salad
Edamame crunch salad
Blistered shishito peppers
You’re missing out big time if you’ve never tried these peppers.
They have a mildly spicy kick, and blistering them adds a layer of smokiness that’s utterly delectable.
But watch out – there’s always one in a bunch that packs a lot more heat than usual. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Psst… these will be gone in a flash, so make a double batch.
Why we love this recipe: eating them is like playing Russian roulette.
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Blistered shishito peppers
Make it crunchy
Shishito tempura
Go Spanish
Padron peppers
Japanese spinach salad
Stick to sushi’s roots and whip up this simple but delicious spinach salad.
The key to this dish is its sweet and savory sesame sauce made with freshly ground sesame seeds.
It brings a delightful nutty flavor that brings out the blanched spinach leaves’ natural sweetness.
Psst… if you have the time to spare, toast the sesame seeds before grinding to enhance their flavor.
Why we love this recipe: a serving only has 110 calories.
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Japanese spinach salad
Make it unique
Mizuna myoga salad with ponzu sauce
Add crunch
Japanese cucumber salad
Condiments
A sushi meal isn’t complete without the right condiment.
Ponzu sauce is my go-to dipping sauce for sushi, but you can also explore other options like a kewpie mayo-based dip or even creamy ranch.
Japanese pickled ginger or gari is always a must-have for me too.
Homemade ponzu sauce
This ponzu sauce is the perfect dipping sauce for your sushi.
It has a bright, citrusy flavor that goes well with every possible sushi filling (and yes, I’ve tested them all… what can I say? I love sushi!).
Psst… if you like heat, add a bit of sriracha sauce or wasabi.
Why we love this recipe: you can also use this as a marinade or dressing.
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Homemade ponzu sauce
Make it creamy
Spicy kewpie mayo
Make it fusion
Wasabi aioli
Japanese pickled ginger
You can’t have a sushi meal without pickled ginger.
It boasts a sweet-sour flavor with a hint of spice, making it an excellent palate cleanser for sushi rolls.
You can easily buy a jar of this in your nearest Asian grocery, but you can also make it from scratch.
It’s normally made with young ginger, but you can also use boiled matured ginger in a pinch.
Why we love this recipe: it lasts for several months.
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Japanese pickled ginger
Make another classic
Japanese pickled yellow radish
Make it different
Pickled carrots and daikon
Avocado wasabi sauce
Jazz up your sushi platter with this creamy avocado wasabi sauce.
The creaminess from the avocado offsets the wasabi paste’s prominent sharpness, giving you a more balanced bite.
This recipe uses lemon juice to prevent the vibrant green sauce from oxidizing and turning brown, but you can also use lime or white vinegar.
Why we love this recipe: you can use it for other seafood dishes like seafood tartare, scallops, and more.
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Avocado wasabi sauce
Make it refreshing
Wasabi cucumber ranch dressing
Skip the wasabi
Horseradish aioli
Drinks and desserts
Green tea and beer are popular beverage choices to pair with sushi, but why not go all out and make a gingery cocktail drink?
You can also enjoy a green-tea flavored ice cream as a sweet treat after your sushi meal, but I always go with soft, sticky mochi.
Rosemary ginger whiskey sour
This isn’t a side dish, but sushi goes superbly with this cocktail drink.
Whiskey sour alone gives you a tart flavor that cuts through your sushi’s vinegary rice and rich filling.
And adding ginger adds a warm flavor that ensures this cocktail will hit the spot.
Why we love this recipe: it’s Insta-worthy.
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Rosemary ginger whiskey sour
Make it fusion
Sake mojito
Keep it simple
Infused sake
Matcha mochi
Want a sweet treat to end your sushi meal? I recommend matcha mochi.
It’s delightfully soft and chewy, with a lovely pale green color.
You can stuff these sticky balls with loads of different fillings (you can even try ice cream), but this recipe sticks with the traditional red bean paste.
It has the right sweetness to balance the matcha’s earthy, grassy notes.
Why we love this recipe: these will make you feel like you’re in a Japanese dessert shop.
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Green tea mochi
Fire up the oven
Green tea mochi cake
Make it cool
Homemade matcha ice cream
The best side dishes for sushi
- Kani salad
- Mushroom gyozas
- Miso soup
- Vegetable tempura
- Agedashi tofu
- Tuna tataki
- Ebi fry
- Seaweed salad
- Cold soba noodle salad
- Garlic chili spicy edamame
- Blistered shishito peppers
- Japanese spinach salad
- Homemade ponzu sauce
- Japanese pickled ginger
- Avocado wasabi sauce
- Matcha mochi
- Rosemary ginger whiskey sour
What To Serve with Sushi (51 Ideas)
Ingredients
- 1 portion kani salad
- 1 portion garlic chili spicy edamame
- 1 portion Japanese pickled ginger
- 1 portion matcha motchi
- 1 portion homemade ponzu sauce
- 1 portion agedashi tofu … and more
Instructions
- Prepare your sushi according to your favorite recipe.
- In the meantime, choose one of the following sides to serve alongside it.
- Side dishes include: kani salad, mushroom gyozas, miso soup, vegetable tempura, agedashi tofu, tuna tataki, ebi fry, seaweed salad, cold soba noodle salad, garlic chili spicy edamame, blistered shishito peppers, japanese spinach salad, homemade ponzu sauce, japanese pickled ginger, avocado wasabi sauce, matcha mochi, and rosemary ginger whiskey sour.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
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