Sesame Soba Noodles with Cucumber and Avocado

I made this recently when my parents came to visit me, and then again for another group of guests -- it's easily doubled or tripled for a big group.  It makes a great summer meal because it's fast to prepare and won't weigh you down.  The sauce is super delicious, and you can basically add whatever green veggies you like here.  Definitely don't skip the fresh herbs -- we used mint, but I think parsley or cilantro would be delicious too.  

The one trick to this recipe is that you need a julienne peeler or something similar to make long thing "noodles" out of the cucumber -- although you could do cubed cucumber, I think having the shape match the soba noodles really makes this dish more fun.  Luckily you can get one of these peelers very cheaply on Amazon -- I have this one that is currently under $10.  If you don't have a cucumber on hand, I think julienned carrots or zucchini would also be tasty!

Sesame Soba Noodles with Cucumber and Avocado (adapted from Sprouted Kitchen, original recipe here)
Serves 4 as a light meal

For the sauce:
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1-1/2 T low sodium soy sauce
1 heaping T peanut butter (creamy or crunchy, your choice!)
1 T toasted sesame oil
1 T sesame seeds
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp grated ginger
3 scallions, minced

To serve:
6-8 ounces soba noodles
1 cup frozen edamame
1 large English cucumber, cut using a julienne peeler
1 avocado, cubed
A few fresh mint leaves, for garnish

1. Whisk together all the sauce ingredients in a serving bowl and set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the soba noodles according to package instructions.  In the last minute of cooking, add the frozen edamame to the pot.  Drain well and rinse with cold water until the noodles and edamame are cool.
3. Add the noodles and edamame to the sauce, with the cucumber and avocado.  Toss everything together until well combined.  Divide among serving bowls and garnish with a few mint leaves.