Singapore’s local farmer’s market in Pasir Panjang turned out to be a real treat. Rows and rows of fresh, local fruits and vegetables — and best of all, no “wet market” attached. For anyone vegetarian, the typical wet market ambience that borders many produce markets can be a bit of a turn-off, so this was a very pleasant surprise.

There was a separate section for dried goods like dried fish, shrimp, and dry fruits, but instinctively these were kept away from the fresh veggie and fruit stalls. The result? We came home with enough produce to last us a good two weeks. A big part of that was sheer excitement at discovering a wholesale produce market, coupled with our plan to introduce juicing into our daily eating routine.

It also turned out to be a fairly inexpensive alternative to the otherwise pricey grocery shopping I was slowly getting used to in Singapore. This place may very well be a hidden gem for expats — there wasn’t much of a crowd, and you could even negotiate prices if you bought enough from a single vendor. All in all, a total win-win.

And this was our lunch yesterday — carrot ginger and tofu soup, sprouts–lettuce–orange salad with orange dressing, and fresh orange and guava juice. Can you tell we bought way too many oranges?

For the juice, we used a juicer — a neat little contraption — though my only gripe is that several pounds of produce yield just two to three (if you’re lucky) 8-oz glasses of juice. That frustration disappeared once I realized we could use the leftover fruit pulp (the so-called “waste”) in smoothies the next morning. And if you have a Vitamix, you can’t really tell the skin from the pulp anyway.

Carrot Ginger Tofu Soup

(From the Vitamix recipe cookbook)

Ingredients

  • 4 medium carrots, peeled and halved
  • 1/4 small onion, peeled
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • A pinch of white pepper
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger root or ginger paste
  • 1/3 cup light silken tofu
  • 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
    (I used Knorr vegetarian cubes, but I recommend a low-sodium broth without MSG)

Method

  1. Place the carrots, onion, and garlic in the Vitamix container and secure the lid.
  2. Select Variable 1, turn the machine on, and quickly increase the speed to Variable 4 or 5.
  3. Blend for about 10 seconds until coarsely chopped.
  4. Heat oil in a pan and sauté the chopped mixture until the onion turns translucent and the carrots are tender. Add a little broth if needed to prevent sticking.
  5. Place the sautéed mixture back into the Vitamix container along with the remaining ingredients. Secure the lid.
  6. Select Variable 1, turn the machine on, and quickly increase the speed to Variable 10, then to High.
  7. Blend for 3–4 minutes, or until heavy steam escapes from the lid.
  8. Garnish with celery leaves and serve hot.

Sprouts, Lettuce, and Orange Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole green gram (mung) sprouts
  • 1 cup butter or romaine lettuce leaves
    (Spinach works beautifully too, but that was the one leafy green I didn’t buy that day )
  • 1/4 cup cabbage, grated or coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup boiled green peas
  • 1 carrot, grated
  • 1 firm orange, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces

Dressing

  • 3 tbsp orange sauce
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
  • Salt, to taste

Dressing Method

In a small pan, heat about 1/2 tsp olive oil. Add 1/2 cup orange juice and 2 tsp orange rind. Simmer briefly and sweeten with a little agave syrup to taste.

Salad Assembly

Arrange the lettuce (or spinach) leaves and orange segments on a platter. Spread the sprouts mixture over the greens and oranges. Spoon the orange dressing evenly over the salad. Chill for a couple of hours before serving.

Simple, fresh, and nourishing — exactly the kind of meal that makes a market trip feel completely worth it.