If you’ve ever hosted a sushi night, you know that even if you only cook or purchase sushi for one person, the spread can rapidly add up to be rather pricey.
The best way to reduce the number of hours spent creating sushi and to save some money is to serve it with some delicious sides. However, deciding what to serve with sushi might be difficult.
Although there are several very popular side dish options, sushi isn’t generally served with many of them. Some of them are genuinely foods that pair incredibly well with sushi, while others are recipes that can stand on their own.
If you’re unsure which side dishes to choose, then read our list of the best side dishes, accompaniments, desserts, and drinks that bring a sushi dinner to life.
1. Dango
Japanese people are not huge fans of sweets. Their pastries feature straightforward tastes that aren’t overly rich.
For example, dango, a mochi-like dumpling, is consumed more frequently than anything else to balance off the sharpness of green tea.
Red bean paste, matcha, and other subtly sweet fillings are typically included. Usually, a serving consists of three dangos of various colors that are skewered together.
2. Edamame
A pod of edamame contains young soybeans. The flavors that are most prevalent are slightly sweet and juicy, whether they are eaten fresh or cooked. They make a terrific side dish since they provide a lovely crunchy contrast to your soft sushi.
Blanch the beans in 4% salt water to make edamame. Then, simply boil or steam them until they are done.
These beans can be added to other side dishes, but you can also eat them as a snack or a palate cleanser.
3. Eggplant
An extremely sweet and smoky vegetable, eggplant is frequently used in Japanese cooking. You can try to include it in your side dish, particularly salads or sushi.
By using teriyaki ingredients, you can give your sushi a sweet and smoky side. You can also cook slices of eggplant in olive oil after marinating them in teriyaki sauce for a short period of time. This is a fantastic combination.
4. Green Tea
The national beverage of Japan is green tea. They drink it constantly, such as at breakfast, lunch, and afternoon breaks. But it’s not because of the flavor; rather, it’s due to its medicinal qualities and health advantages.
Due to its popularity, many Japanese restaurants offer free cups of green tea, either hot or cooled.
If you’re eating sushi, green tea should be your only beverage of choice because it is a really flavorful drink that will go wonderfully with the sushi and other accompaniments.
The green tea can also be added to other foods or used to make your own. You can prepare bite-sized green tea pound cakes or a cool green tea ice cream.
5. Gyoza
Gyoza are half-moon-shaped dumplings that can be boiled, pan-fried, deep-fried, and filled with meat, vegetables, or both.
Combine shiitake mushrooms, cabbage, carrots, onion, garlic, chives, and ginger mince to make the filling. After that, encase the lovely filling in dumpling skins.
They are also served with condiments like soy sauce or other sweet, sour, and salty sauces, just like sushi.
They have great textures and are really delicious. The flavors can even be matched to those in your sushi.
6. Kani Salad
Despite what many people think, kani salad is not a traditional Japanese dish. However, it still has a Japanese flavor because it uses Japanese ingredients, particularly kani or imitation crab meat.
Making this American-Japanese dish couldn’t be simpler. Just toss kani with Japanese mayo, lettuce, cucumber, and carrots.
Adding some mango slices will make the salad sweeter. It will not only offer yet another layer of flavor, but also a lovely splash of color. A rich and nutty flavor can be added by adding some avocado slices if they are in season, too.
7. Matcha Ice Cream
Although matcha has a distinct bitter flavor and powdery taste, it tastes fantastic when made into ice cream. It’s the ideal way to end a dinner in Japan.
Matcha is also used in a number of beverages, so you could accompany your sushi with some delicious matcha green tea, served either hot or cold.
8. Miso Soup
Sushi must always be accompanied by soup, which is a staple of Japanese cuisine. It’s one of the best side dishes for sushi and a go-to for most Japanese food lovers.
Miso soup is made with miso paste and dashi stock. Tofu and negi, or spring onions, are the two main flavorful solid ingredients.
This soup’s rich umami flavors will complement any sushi with a softer flavor profile and may even replace the usual soy sauce as a dipping sauce.
9. Ohitashi
This Japanese green salad is well-known and traditional. It is created with green vegetables that have been infused with dashi.
This dish’s umami flavor is greatly enhanced by the dashi while still being subdued enough to be unobtrusive. It is the ideal accompaniment to sushi with stronger flavor profiles.
10. Pickled Ginger
Although pickled ginger, or gari, is not a side dish, it is sometimes served with sushi to cleanse the diner’s palate between bites.
Baby ginger is used in authentic pickled ginger because it has a gentler flavor and a softer consistency. The color is due to the pink tip that it has.
However, baby ginger is hard to come by, so many Japanese restaurants substitute with ordinary ginger that has added food coloring.
11. Seaweed Salad
Another light side that will balance out the heaviness of the rice in sushi is seaweed salad. It’s simple to prepare and extremely beneficial to the body.
Miso, soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin, rice vinegar, yuzu sauce, sesame seeds, chili, and salt are combined to make a tasty dressing for seaweeds.
This salad is a straightforward, yet flavorful, and healthy side dish that all of your guests will love.
12. Suimono Soup
Another well-liked Japanese clear soup is this suimono soup. Although the ingredients are different, it is remarkably similar to miso soup.
To make the broth for this soup, mainly meats and vegetables are used.
Similar to miso soup, this soup can be used as a substitute for condiments or as a side dish with sushi.
13. Tamagoyaki
Japanese omelets called tamagoyaki are made with several layers of eggs, like a sheet of egg that has been rolled up.
Tamagoyaki, like other egg dishes, has a relatively neutral side dish that won’t at all dominate the sushi. However, if you want your egg rolls to be sweeter, you can add sugar and mirin.
Tamagoyaki is a wonderful complement to sushi, whether it is used as a filling or on the side.
14. Tempura
A traditional side dish with sushi is tempura. Foods that have been cooked in a batter that is crisp and fluffy rather than one that contains panko breadcrumbs are referred to as tempura.
Typically, these dishes consist of shrimp or a variety of vegetables. To make tempura batter, all you have to do is combine wheat flour with iced water, and mix it with chopsticks in small batches.
This is a mouthwatering side dish with lots of texture that goes well with almost any sushi dish.
15. Tsukemono
Almost any seafood dish is enhanced by the sweet-acidic flavor characteristic of pickled ingredients.
Although pickled ginger is the most popular, there are many more pickled vegetable options when making tsukemono.
Pickled takuan (daikon), umeboshi (sour plums), shibazuke (a mixture of cucumbers and eggplants), and kyurizuke (Japanese cucumbers) are all great ingredients that work well in this dish.
What Are Some Delicious Side Dishes to Serve with Salmon Patties?
Looking to complement your salmon patties? Look no further! There are several delicious sides for salmon patties that you can try. How about serving them with a refreshing cucumber salad? It adds a delightful crunch and freshness. Alternatively, roasted asparagus with a touch of lemon zest makes for a zesty and nutritious side dish. Whatever you choose, these tasty sides will enhance your salmon patties’ flavors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nigiri and sashimi, which are smaller portions, should be eaten in a single bite, whereas American-style rolls, which are larger, may require two or more bites.
Chew the sushi thoroughly so that the flavor may fill your mouth. Then, take a sip of your sake if you’re having it with your sushi.
Although sushi is frequently served raw, this is not always the case. Some sushi varieties, like eel, are cooked.
You can look into the types of sushi that are cooked before being served if you prefer to have your sushi cooked and do not like the potential risks of eating raw fish.
Furthermore, some sushi is made with only vegetables, making it vegetarian and sometimes vegan. Modern sushi also includes other cooked meats, like chicken, if you don’t enjoy eating fish.
Sushi can be expensive for a number of reasons, but the price of the raw materials is typically the main cause.
Making sushi requires a tremendous amount of labor, and many professional sushi chefs train for years to perfect their craft. Typically, this work is compensated by the piece.
Final Word
Sushi is an incredibly skilled and delicious Japanese food, and with one of these side dishes, you can enhance the flavor of your sushi even more, and create the ultimate Japanese feast.
What to Serve with Sushi (15 Japanese-Inspired Sides)
This selection of 15 Japanese-inspired sides is a great way to make sushi more interesting at the table.
Ingredients
Directions
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Recipe Video
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