Begin by boiling water in a medium pot. Add somen noodles and cook for about 3 minutes. Once tender, drain them and rinse under cold water until cool.

While the noodles cool, julienne 1 cucumber and 1 carrot. Finely chop 2 green onions.

In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar until smoothly combined.

In a large bowl, gently toss the chilled noodles with the prepared vegetables. Pour the dressing over everything and mix well.

Plate your fresh salad and top it with sesame seeds, optional hard-boiled egg halves, and nori strips.