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What to Serve With Sushi Dinner: 15 Best Side Dishes

When planning a sushi dinner, selecting the right side dishes can truly enhance your meal. Consider starting with edamame, young soybeans that are both nutritious and delicious. Seaweed salad adds a tangy umami flavor, while miso soup provides a comforting, savory experience. For something crispy, try tempura or pan-fried gyoza, which contrast beautifully with the soft texture of sushi. Whether you're new to sushi or a seasoned fan, the perfect side dishes can make your dinner special. Discover more delightful options that will complement your sushi feast perfectly.

Edamame

soybean snack in pods

Edamame, young soybeans served in their pods, are a delightful and nutritious side dish that enhances any sushi dinner. High in protein and fiber, these vibrant green soybeans can be enjoyed salted or unsalted, depending on your preference.

Popular in Japanese cuisine, edamame adds a fresh, crisp texture and a pop of color to the table, making it a perfect accompaniment to sushi.

Seaweed Salad

healthy ocean greens mix

A quintessential accompaniment to sushi, seaweed salad combines various types of seaweed like wakame and hijiki, dressed with a blend of sesame oil, soy sauce, and vinegar. This nutrient-rich dish offers an invigorating option that enhances the sushi experience with its unique umami flavor.

Low in calories, seaweed salad adds a healthy, flavorful component, making it a popular choice for sushi lovers.

Miso Soup

comforting japanese winter meal

Miso soup, a traditional Japanese concoction, seamlessly complements sushi with its warm and savory flavor profile. This umami-rich soup, made from fermented soybean paste, dashi broth, tofu, and seaweed, stands out as one of the best side dishes to serve with sushi.

Offering a light, comforting addition, miso soup enhances the overall dining experience, making each bite of sushi more enjoyable.

Tempura

crispy fried seafood delicacy

Complementing the comforting warmth of miso soup, tempura introduces a delightful crunch to the sushi dinner experience.

This popular Japanese dish features lightly battered and fried seafood or vegetables, achieving a crispy texture with a delicate coating.

Served with a flavorful dipping sauce called tentsuyu, made from dashi, soy sauce, and mirin, tempura offers a perfect contrast to the softness of sushi.

Gyoza

delicious japanese dumplings popular

Gyoza, the savory Japanese dumplings filled with a mixture of meat and vegetables, add a delightful contrast in texture and taste to a sushi dinner. These pan-fried dumplings boast a flavorful filling and are often served with a tangy dipping sauce.

As a popular appetizer or side dish, gyoza can be customized with shrimp, chicken, or tofu, catering to various dietary preferences.

Pickled Ginger

tangy pink sushi garnish

Pickled ginger, known as 'gari' in Japanese cuisine, serves as a palate cleanser that enhances the sushi dining experience. This essential sushi side dish, pickled in sweet vinegar, offers a tangy contrast to the rich, savory flavors of sushi.

Its vibrant pink color and crunchy texture make it a delightful and visually appealing sushi accompaniment, balancing and invigorating your taste buds between bites.

Sunomono

japanese vinegar dressed salad

Following the tangy notes of pickled ginger, sunomono offers an invigorating and palate-cleansing addition to a sushi dinner with its light and vinegared flavors.

This Japanese vinegared salad typically features a cucumber salad mixed with seafood and a tangy vinegar dressing.

As one of the revitalizing Japanese side dishes, sunomono's light and tangy taste complements sushi, providing a colorful and flavorful experience.

Chawanmushi

savory japanese egg custard

Chawanmushi is a traditional Japanese savory egg custard. It is a warm and comforting addition to a sushi dinner, offering rich umami flavors and a delicate texture.

This steamed dish is often served in small cups and combines ingredients like chicken, mushrooms, and shrimp. Its rich flavor profile perfectly complements sushi, providing a unique and satisfying taste experience.

Spinach Ohitashi

steamed spinach with soy sauce

Spinach Ohitashi is a traditional Japanese side dish. It features blanched spinach marinated in a soy-based sauce, offering a light and healthy complement to sushi.

This healthy accompaniment is often garnished with bonito flakes and sesame seeds, adding umami and crunch. Known for its invigorating taste, spinach ohitashi can be served chilled or at room temperature, enhancing the overall dining experience delightfully.

Japanese Pickles

fermented vegetables in japan

Japanese pickles, or tsukemono, are a fundamental side dish in Japanese cuisine, celebrated for their crunchy texture and tangy flavor.

These pickles, made from vegetables like cucumbers and radishes, serve as an invigorating palate cleanser between sushi bites.

Their unique taste profiles and satisfying crunch make them a delightful accompaniment, enhancing the rich flavors of a sushi dinner.

Yakitori

grilled japanese skewers delicacy

Yakitori, a beloved staple in Japanese cuisine, features skewered and grilled chicken seasoned with a sweet and savory sauce. Often found in izakayas, this dish is cooked over a charcoal grill, giving it a smoky flavor.

As an appetizer, yakitori offers a delightful range of textures and flavors, with various parts of the chicken serving as the main ingredient.

Kani Salad

delicious crab and cucumber

Kani salad is a delightful Japanese crab salad. It typically combines imitation crab, cucumber, and mayonnaise to create a light yet creamy side dish perfect for complementing sushi.

This invigorating seafood salad can be enhanced with avocado or sprinkled with sesame seeds for added texture and flavor. The sweetness of the crab paired with the creaminess of the mayonnaise makes kani salad a popular choice.

Onigiri

japanese rice ball snack

Onigiri, a staple in Japanese cuisine, serves as a versatile and portable rice ball that can be customized with various fillings and wrapped in nori for added flavor.

This Japanese rice ball, often filled with pickled plums or seasoned seaweed, makes a delightful sushi side dish.

Its versatility and endless flavor combinations make onigiri a popular portable snack, perfect for any occasion.

Agedashi Tofu

crispy tofu in broth

Agedashi Tofu is a classic Japanese delicacy. It features deep-fried tofu cubes served in a savory dashi broth, providing a harmonious blend of textures and flavors that perfectly complements a sushi dinner.

This traditional dish is known for its vegetarian-friendly appeal. It balances a crispy exterior with a soft interior and is often garnished with daikon radish, bonito flakes, and green onions for added umami flavor.

Are the Best Side Dishes for Sushi Dinner and Asian Slaw Similar?

When it comes to the best side dishes for Asian slaw and sushi dinner, they are quite different. While sushi dinner usually pairs well with miso soup and seaweed salad, the best side dishes for Asian slaw might include edamame or potstickers. Each complements the main dish in a unique way.

Matcha Ice Cream

delicious frozen green treat

Matcha ice cream is a traditional Japanese dessert made with green tea powder. It offers a unique flavor profile and vibrant green color that perfectly complements a sushi dinner. Rich in antioxidants, it balances sweetness and earthy notes with a creamy texture.

The subtle bitterness and sweet note create a delightful contrast to savory sushi flavors, making it an ideal palate cleanser and invigorating finish.