High in omega-3 fatty acids, versatile, and extremely flavorful, salmon is undoubtedly one of the favorite fish in Japanese home cooking. We enjoy this amazing fish grilled, roasted, marinated, pan-fried, deep-fried, in soup, porridge, and sometimes raw! If you are just starting to cook more salmon at home, I have plenty of salmon recipes for you to try. But what should you serve it with? While I can think of many dishes that go well with the fish, the best side dishes for salmon should be simple enough to make. Here you’ll find our favorite side dishes that pair perfectly with salmon. You can even mix and match a rice dish and a vegetable side alongside the salmon for a well-balanced dinner.
20 Easy & Healthy Side Dishes to Serve with Salmon
1. Green Bean with Sesame Dressing
Give fresh green beans a quick blanch and toss them in a sweet sesame-soy dressing. You’ll have this delicious side dish to serve with the salmon.
2. Roasted Miso Cauliflower
Brushed with delicious garlic miso sauce, the cauliflower florets are roasted to golden perfection in the oven.
3. Ginger Rice
Fragrant Japanese rice cooked with ginger, fried tofu skin, and a flavorful soy sauce-based sauce. Dinner cannot be any more satisfying when you serve it with a side like miso salmon. It’s optional, but a bowl of miso soup would round out the meal beautifully.
4. Homemade Miso Soup
For a warm and nourishing meal, nothing beats a simply prepared salmon dish with a bowl of homemade miso soup and steamed rice. There are plenty of ingredients you can work with, such as wakame seaweed, tofu, and root vegetables like kabocha or carrots. You’ll never get bored with the combination. Check out all my Miso Soup Recipes!
5. Soba Noodle Salad
This soba noodle salad tossed in a honey-soy dressing is exactly what you need to make on repeat, along with salmon. If all you have is leftover salmon, pack it as a side with the soba noodle salad in your work lunch! To keep the meal fresh, pack the dressing separately and enjoy it when you’re ready to eat. It’s great chilled or at room temperature.
6. Stir-Fried Vegetables
If you have some odds and ends veggies in the fridge, this stir-fry would be the easiest dish to make to pair with salmon. Since you’re serving with salmon, you can certainly omit the meat and keep it vegetable-focus only.
7. Japanese Corn Rice
This amazing corn rice goes hand in hand with salmon! To save time, prepare the dish ahead and reheat it when ready to serve. Before mealtime, you just need to grill, bake, or pan-fry the salmon and put together a salad.
8. Simple Roasted Kabocha Squash
Slice the kabocha into thin wedges, pop them into the oven, and bake until slightly charred and fork-tender. Then season with shichimi togarashi spice blend or with sweetened soy sauce. What an excellent side to serve with salmon!
9. Warm Mushroom Salad with Sesame Dressing
With just a handful of ingredients and 15 minutes, this Warm Mushroom Salad with Sesame Dressing can jazz up your salmon dinner any night of the week. Try using a variety of mushrooms for a satisfying texture.
10. Apple Walnut Salad
Want to get your kids to eat more salmon? One of the tricks is to prepare the fish in irresistible bite-size and crunchy pieces like these Crispy Salmon. Then serve it with Apple Walnut Salad to make the entire meal enticing for the little ones. Once they establish the palate, you’ll be off to a good start to introduce more salmon dishes to them.
11. Salad with Sesame Dressing
Put together a bowl of fresh lettuce, cucumber slices, radishes, and tomato wedges, and dress it in this creamy and nutty sesame dressing. You get a simple salad that is cool and appetizing—a delightful counterpoint to buttery salmon.
12. Zucchini & Sweet Corn Stir-Fry
This is such a simple and speedy stir-fry to make. To make it hassle-free, you can even use the same frying pan to cook your salmon and this dish. Otherwise, grill or bake your salmon to serve with it.
13. Japanese Sweet Potato Rice
Steamed rice cooked with tender, golden chunks of Japanese sweet potatoes, it makes a perfect side dish to serve with salmon.
14. Spinach with Sesame Dressing
Freshly blanched spinach dressed in a nutty and savory sesame dressing, this flavorful vegetable side dish complement any salmon dish you can think of.
15. Okra with Ginger Soy Sauce
For something completely different, how about this Okra with Ginger Soy Sauce? Here, the okra is blanched quickly and then dressed in the savory, zesty dressing. The crunchy and refreshing texture of okra balances the creamy and buttery salmon for a unique pairing. Feel free to prepare it ahead of time so you can serve it instantly with your salmon. *You can even use the vegetables like broccoli or asparagus instead of blanched okra.
16. Cucumber Salad with Sesame Soy Vinaigrette
This cucumber salad makes a refreshing side dish to enjoy with the rich taste of salmon. Here’s another Cucumber Salad you might enjoy too!
17. Kabocha Salad
Sweet golden Kabocha Salad with sliced cucumber, crispy bacon and tossed with creamy Japanese mayo, this is easily one of my favorites when the Japanese pumpkin is in season. You can serve the salad with pan-grilled salmon or salmon onigiri (rice balls).
18. Blistered Shishito Peppers
Roast these Japanese peppers in a dry skillet until deliciously charred, then flavor them with a simple ginger soy sauce. They’re full of umami and make a great accompaniment to any salmon dishes you have on the menu.
19. Pesto Pasta
Pesto pasta—regardless of the style—often shines with bold flavors and a salty punch from Parmesan cheese. It’s pretty amazing when served with a simple salmon on the side.
20. Grilled Corn on the Cob
Whether it’s grilled, boiled, or air fryer corn, sweet corn will work great with salmon.
Looking for More Delicious Side Dishes?
I hope you enjoy making these side dishes to serve with salmon. Browse here for more recipes and ideas for side dishes! Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
