✔ Updated · now 40 sides grouped by soups, salads, appetizers, tempura, noodles, desserts and drinks
Sushi loves light, fresh sides that wake up your taste buds without stealing the show. Here are 40 ideas, from slurpy miso soup and crunchy tempura to mochi for dessert.
Serve sushi with light Japanese sides: miso soup, edamame, seaweed (wakame) salad, cucumber sunomono and pickled ginger are the classics. Add gyoza or tempura for something hot and crunchy, a noodle dish like yakisoba for big appetites, and finish with mochi ice cream and green tea. Two or three sides are plenty.
- Classic trio: miso soup, edamame and seaweed salad.
- Hot and crunchy: gyoza, shrimp or vegetable tempura, karaage.
- Not into raw fish? teriyaki chicken, yakitori or fried rice.
- Dessert: mochi ice cream or matcha ice cream.
How to Choose Sides for Sushi
Sushi is delicate, so pick sides that are light, clean and a little tangy, and save heavy, saucy dishes for big appetites. Aim for contrast: something warm (soup), something crisp and cool (salad or pickles) and something crunchy (tempura or gyoza).
| If you want… | Serve | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| A classic sushi-bar meal | Miso soup, edamame, seaweed salad | Light, savory and quick |
| Something hot and crunchy | Gyoza, tempura, karaage | Contrasts with cool rice |
| Fresh and tangy | Sunomono, tsukemono, ginger salad | Cleanses the palate |
| A filling dinner | Yakisoba, yaki udon, teriyaki chicken | Feeds big eaters and non-fish eaters |
| Something sweet | Mochi ice cream, matcha ice cream | Cool, light finish |
Soups to Serve With Sushi
A small bowl of hot soup is the most traditional partner for sushi. Keep it light and brothy so it does not compete with the fish.
1. Miso Soup
Dashi broth whisked with miso paste, with tofu cubes, wakame and scallions. The classic, savory starter at almost every sushi bar.
Get the recipe →2. Suimono (Clear Soup)
A delicate clear dashi soup with a few pieces of fish cake, shrimp or mushroom and a twist of citrus peel. Lighter than miso.
3. Tonjiru (Pork Miso Soup)
A heartier miso soup with thin pork slices, daikon, carrot and burdock. Good on cold nights or for bigger appetites.
Salads and Pickles
Cool, tangy sides refresh the palate between rolls. Most can be made a few hours ahead and chilled.
4. Wakame Seaweed Salad
Rehydrated wakame tossed with cucumber, rice vinegar, sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds. Salty, tangy and very quick.
5. Kani Salad
Shredded imitation crab, cucumber, carrot and mango in a creamy Japanese mayo dressing, sometimes topped with crunchy panko or tempura flakes.
6. Sunomono (Cucumber Salad)
Thinly sliced cucumber marinated in rice vinegar, sugar and salt, with sesame seeds. Crisp and refreshing next to rich rolls.
7. Spinach Ohitashi
Blanched spinach steeped in a light dashi and soy dressing, topped with bonito flakes. A simple, savory green side.
8. Goma-ae (Sesame Green Beans)
Green beans or spinach tossed in a sweet toasted sesame and soy dressing. Nutty and great served cold.
9. Ginger Salad
Crisp iceberg lettuce, carrot and cucumber with the bright orange carrot-ginger dressing served at many Japanese restaurants.
10. Tsukemono (Japanese Pickles)
Pickled daikon (takuan), cucumbers, eggplant or sour umeboshi plums. Salty, sour and crunchy palate cleansers.
11. Gari (Pickled Ginger)
Thin slices of sweet-sour pickled young ginger, eaten between pieces of sushi to reset the palate, not on top of them.
Small Plates and Appetizers
Order or make two or three of these for a sushi night spread. Most are bite-size and easy to share.
12. Edamame
Steamed young soybeans in the pod, tossed with flaky salt or garlic and chili. Ready in 5 minutes and easy to share.
13. Gyoza
Pan-fried pork or vegetable dumplings with crisp bottoms and tender tops, served with a soy, vinegar and chili oil dip.
Get the recipe →14. Agedashi Tofu
Cubes of silken tofu dusted in starch, fried until crisp and served in a warm dashi broth with grated daikon.
15. Blistered Shishito Peppers
Mild green peppers charred in a hot pan and finished with salt, soy and lemon. Roughly one in ten is spicy.
16. Tamagoyaki
A lightly sweet rolled Japanese omelet cooked in thin layers, sliced into neat pieces. Mild and kid-friendly.
17. Chawanmushi
A silky savory egg custard steamed with dashi, shrimp, chicken and mushrooms. Served warm in small cups.
18. Yakitori
Bite-size chicken skewers grilled and brushed with a sweet soy tare glaze. A good option for guests who skip raw fish.
19. Takoyaki
Crisp-outside, soft-inside octopus balls topped with savory sauce, Japanese mayo, bonito flakes and seaweed powder.
20. Shumai
Open-topped steamed dumplings filled with pork and shrimp. Serve with soy sauce and a dab of hot mustard.
21. Nasu Dengaku (Miso Eggplant)
Halved Japanese eggplant broiled with a sweet miso glaze until soft and caramelized. Rich, smoky and vegetarian.
Tempura and Fried Sides
Hot, crunchy sides contrast with cool sushi rice. Fry just before serving so they stay crisp.
22. Shrimp Tempura
Shrimp in a light, lacy batter fried until crisp, with tentsuyu dipping sauce and grated daikon.
23. Vegetable Tempura
Sweet potato, zucchini, mushrooms, green beans and onion in a light tempura batter. A great vegetarian side.
24. Ebi Fry
Shrimp coated in batter and panko breadcrumbs, then fried. Crunchier than tempura and good with tartar or tonkatsu sauce.
25. Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken)
Chicken thighs marinated in soy, ginger and garlic, coated in potato starch and fried until juicy and crisp inside.
26. Korokke (Potato Croquettes)
Mashed potato and ground beef patties breaded in panko and fried golden. Comforting and popular with kids.
Heartier Sides for a Full Meal
Sushi alone can leave big eaters hungry. Add one warm noodle, rice or protein dish, especially for guests who do not eat raw fish.
27. Teriyaki Chicken
Pan-seared chicken in a glossy sweet soy glaze, sliced and served with steamed vegetables. A safe crowd-pleaser.
Get the recipe →28. Yakisoba
Stir-fried wheat noodles with cabbage, carrot and chicken or pork in a tangy-sweet yakisoba sauce.
Get the recipe →29. Cold Soba Noodle Salad
Chilled buckwheat noodles with cucumber, scallions and a soy-sesame dressing. Light enough not to overpower sushi.
30. Yaki Udon
Thick, chewy udon noodles stir-fried with vegetables and soy-based sauce. Filling and quick.
Get the recipe →31. Hibachi Fried Rice
Garlicky fried rice with egg, peas, carrot and soy, like the rice served at Japanese steakhouses.
Get the recipe →Desserts After Sushi
End with something small, cool and not too sweet.
32. Mochi Ice Cream
Balls of ice cream wrapped in soft, chewy rice dough, in flavors like mango, strawberry and green tea.
Get the recipe →33. Matcha Ice Cream
Green tea ice cream with a gently bitter, grassy flavor that cleanses the palate after a rich sushi meal.
Get the recipe →34. Dango
Chewy rice dumplings on skewers, often glazed with a sweet soy sauce (mitarashi). Lovely with a cup of green tea.
35. Dorayaki
Two small fluffy pancakes sandwiched with sweet red bean paste. A classic Japanese snack cake.
36. Fresh Fruit or Sorbet
Sliced melon, mandarin oranges or a scoop of yuzu or lemon sorbet: light, simple and refreshing after sushi.
Drinks to Serve With Sushi
Choose drinks that are clean and light. Sake and beer contain alcohol and are for adults of legal drinking age (21 in the US); offer tea or sparkling water too.
37. Green Tea
Hot or iced green tea such as sencha or genmaicha. Its gentle bitterness cuts through rich, fatty fish.
38. Sake
Japanese rice wine served chilled or warm. A dry, crisp style pairs best with delicate nigiri. Adults 21+ only.
39. Japanese Lager
A light, crisp rice lager cleanses the palate between spicy or fried rolls. Adults 21+ only.
40. Iced Matcha Latte
Matcha whisked with milk over ice. A creamy, alcohol-free option that suits dessert or lunch sushi.
Get the recipe →Sushi Safety Tips
- Keep it cold: keep sushi with raw fish in the fridge at 40°F or below until serving, and do not leave it out more than 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F).
- Leftovers: eat raw-fish sushi within 24 hours; cooked rolls keep 1 to 2 days refrigerated.
- Cooked fish: cook fish for hot sides to 145°F; cook chicken for yakitori, karaage or teriyaki to 165°F.
- Who should skip raw fish: pregnant people, young children, older adults and anyone with a weakened immune system should choose cooked or vegetable rolls.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you eat with sushi?
Sushi is usually eaten with soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger, plus light sides such as miso soup, edamame and seaweed or cucumber salad. For a fuller meal, add gyoza, tempura or a noodle dish, and finish with mochi ice cream and green tea.
What is a good side dish for sushi at a party?
For a party, choose make-ahead and easy-to-share sides: edamame, seaweed salad, cucumber sunomono, kani salad and gyoza. Add one hot, filling dish such as yakisoba or teriyaki chicken for guests who do not eat raw fish, and mochi ice cream for dessert.
What soup goes with sushi?
Miso soup is the classic choice: dashi broth with miso paste, tofu, seaweed and scallions. Suimono, a clear dashi soup, is lighter and more delicate. For colder weather or a bigger meal, tonjiru, a miso soup with pork and root vegetables, is heartier.
What drink goes best with sushi?
Green tea is the traditional pairing because its light bitterness cleanses the palate. Adults 21 and over may also enjoy chilled dry sake or a crisp Japanese-style lager. For a non-alcoholic option, try sparkling water with lemon or an iced matcha latte.
What dessert goes with sushi?
Light, cool desserts work best after sushi. Mochi ice cream, matcha ice cream, yuzu or lemon sorbet and fresh fruit like melon or mandarin oranges are popular. Dango and dorayaki are traditional Japanese sweets that pair well with green tea.
