Vegan whole wheat noodle salad with peanut ginger dressing

I found a September 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times magazine in my bedroom, which is funny because I wasn't even vegetarian or vegan last year. I seriously need a subscription to this magazine! Matt saw this recipe and said he would make it for me (I usually do the cooking). This recipe takes 30 minutes or less to make, makes 4 servings and you will love every bite. The recipe called for soba noodles, but we couldn't find vegan soba noodles (the ones we found had eggs), so we used whole wheat noodles as a substitution.

Vegan noodle salad with ginger peanut dressing

6 oz low-sodium soba noodles (we used whole wheat noodles)
1/2 cup Maranatha organic no-stir peanut butter
1/4 cup brown rice vinegar
1 tbsp agave nectar or maple syrup (we used agave nectar)
1 tbsp minced fresh garlic (we used 3)
2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 clove garlic peeled
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp fresh lime zest
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, divided
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced (1 1/2 cup)
1 small red pepper, sliced (1 cup)
1 large carrot, grated (1/2 cup)
2 tsp chopped peanuts (optional)

1. Cook the noodles in boiling salted water, according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold running water.
2. Puree peanut butter, vinegar, agave nectar, ginger, soy sauce, garlic, lime juice, lime zest and 1/4 cup cilantro in blender or food processor until smooth and creamy, adding 2 to 3 tbsp of warm water to thin, if necessary.

3. Toss together noodles, cucumber, bell pepper, carrot and peanut butter mixture. Garnish with remaining cilantro and chopped peanuts, if using.