What to Serve with Sashimi? 7 BEST Side Dishes

Sashimi is pure bliss served on a plate. It's like sushi's stylish cousin who knows how to keep things classy yet relaxed.

Finding the right sides to go with sashimi can make a casual dinner feel fancy without the fuss. We once whipped up a sashimi platter for a last-minute gathering and felt like sushi chefs ourselves!

Serving it with fun dips and crunchy snacks made our chill night feel like a big deal. There's a ton out there, so don't worry about running out of ideas.

Ready to pair those fresh slices with sides that bring out their best? Here's our round-up of perfect accompaniments that will make your sashimi experience even tastier!

7 Traditional Sides to Enjoy with Sashimi

Transform your sashimi experience with these seven incredible side dishes we have listed below - and if planning a larger gathering, consider chili party side dishes for crowd-pleasing options:

1 - Chopped Cucumber in Sesame Oil

Save for Later!

This is probably one of the simplest yet best side dishes with Sashimi - for more light cucumber pairings, see cucumber soup side ideas for light pairings.

The best way to enjoy this side dish is by removing the cucumber seeds so that you don't have a pool of cucumber water mixed in sesame oil at the end of your meal.

If you are more into spicy flavors, you can add chili flakes and sprinkle some salt to bring out the flavors.

You can also fry some garlic and add this to the mixture for extra flavor.

You can add as much extra seasoning as you like, but we suggest keeping it simple and allowing the taste of the Sashimi to be the main star in the meal.

2 - Miso Soup with Assorted Vegetables

Save for Later!

Soup is always a good addition to any meal, and it can help your palate recover from the burst of flavors and help you enjoy your other meals better.

Miso is one soup that pairs well with any Japanese meal, including Sashimi - and for a heartier fish pairing, review miso cod side ideas for robust complements.

You can load your miso soup with lots of green onions and tofu.

The one thing to keep in mind is that you correctly follow the instructions for making the Sashi broth with the miso paste.

You can tweak this recipe as much as you like by adding carrots, boi Choi, and mushrooms along with your tofu and green onion.

For a strong aftertaste, you can even chop up some ginger and add it to your soup after it's out of the stove.

3 - Crispy Stir-fried Gyoza

Save for Later!

These dumplings are tiny pieces of heaven for those who haven't tried them yet.

You can get creative with it, especially with the filling.

You can go for a complete vegetarian stuffing which we think is the best choice if you have it with Sashimi.

You can also add meat, but you might risk overpowering the taste of the Sashimi that way.

You can steam or boil the dumplings and then pan fry them on the stove.

You will end up with a crisp outer layer with a soft and flavorful inside.

You can even dump them in your miso soup and have it alongside your Sashimi - or try alternative gyoza wrapper options for swaps if wrappers are scarce.

4 - Picked Ginger Bites

Save for Later!

Ginger is an excellent palate cleanser.

It is normal to serve pickled ginger with Sashimi in many Japanese restaurants, also known as Gari.

This dish uses only baby ginger so that the ginger isn't too spicy and strong.

They are soaked in brine to pickle and served with Sashimi or sushi - for contrasting pairings when serving grilled proteins, try steak bites side pairings for robust sides.

Since gari uses only baby ginger, the taste is quite sweet.

Make sure that your ginger is thinly sliced before soaking them in brine so that you don't end up with big chunks of ginger that no one likes to eat.

5 - Fresh Kani Salad

Save for Later!

Kani, also known as Imitation crab, is chopped in cubes, tossed around with assorted fresh vegetables, and drizzled with some salad dressing or seasoning.

You can use vegetables of your choice such as lettuce, carrot and cucumber.

Make sure to chop them up nicely and toss them around in authentic Japanese mayo.

It has a distinctive taste that pairs well with the Kani and the vegetables - for a sweet contrast, consider fresh strawberry side ideas for sweet contrasts.

If you like, you can add mango slices to give it a sweet taste or go for avocado for the rich buttery flavor.

6 - Golden Shrimp Tempura

Save for Later!

There is nothing better than shrimp tempura to give you that crunchy yet tender bite of goodness - for a buttery shrimp alternative, see garlic butter shrimp side suggestions for buttery seafood pairings.

It's so easy to make, yet the taste's complexity makes it so unique.

The crunchy texture of the tempura accompanies the Sashimi's soft and tender taste, and the result is just great flavor in your mouth.

If you don't want to miss your seafood, you can replace the shrimp with vegetables like broccoli, carrots and even mushrooms.

7 - Fresh Seaweed Salad

Save for Later!

Fresh seaweed salad has one of the best flavors to pair with Sashimi.

It is both refreshing and flavorful but not too much that it overpowers the taste of the Sashimi.

You can drizzle some dressing on the seaweed to give it more flavor.

The most common dressing flavors are chili oil and sesame oil.

You can also go all out and make an authentic Japanese dressing for seaweed salad.

It calls for a combination of sesame oil, miso, rice vinegar, mirin, yuzu sauce, soy sauce, chili, salt and sesame seeds.

Mix it all tan drizzle on top of your seaweed.

If you don't have access to all of these ingredients, you can make it simple by adding only the sesame oil and salt along with some chopped garlic.

This minimal dressing is just as good as the Sashimi.

Savoring sashimi includes thinking about texture and flavor. sashimi taste explained and examples breaks down common flavor notes. nigiri vs sashimi comparison for differences clarifies how preparation and presentation change the experience.