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Amanida de Xicoies (Andorran Dandelion Salad with Bacon)
Tender young dandelion leaves from the spring meadows, dressed with plenty of olive oil, vinegar and green garlic and topped with hot, crisp pieces of fried pork belly.
Andorran · easy · serves 4
prep 20 min · cook 10 min · plus 30 min hands-off time
~262 cal · 5g protein · 2g carbs · 27g fat · 0g fiber · 0g sugars · 7g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Xicoies are young dandelions, and in Andorra they are one of the first tastes of spring. When the snow melts from the high meadows the rosettes of new leaves appear, and people who know them go out to pick them. The salad made from them, amanida de xicoies, opens the starters in the collection of traditional recipes published by Andorra's tourism ministry, and it was among the dishes residents named when the Institut d'Estudis Andorrans asked them about typical Andorran food.
It is a simple, strong-flavoured plate. The leaves are washed and left to soak in plenty of water, which softens their bitterness, then drained well and dressed generously with olive oil, a splash of vinegar, salt and pepper and slices of green garlic. Cansalada, salted pork belly, is fried until crisp and scattered on top, and the official recipe advises dressing the leaves a little while before they are eaten.
Some cooks add walnuts or snails. Away from the mountains, cultivated dandelion from a greengrocer, or a mix of frisée and rocket, makes a good substitute.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally gluten-, dairy-, nut- and egg-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 4
- 400 g young dandelion leaves (xicoies), or cultivated dandelion, or a mix of frisée and rocket
- 150 g cansalada (salted pork belly) or unsmoked streaky bacon, cut into small pieces
- 3 stalks green garlic (alls tendres), thinly sliced, or 2 spring onions and 1 small clove of garlic
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tsp for frying
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- to taste salt
- to taste black pepper
Instructions
- 1Pick over the dandelion leaves, cutting off the roots and any tough or yellowed leaves. Wash them well and leave them to soak in a large bowl of cold water for at least 30 minutes, changing the water once or twice.✎ Chef’s noteThe longer they soak, the milder they get. Andorran cooks leave them in running water for as long as they can.
- 2Drain the leaves and dry them very well in a salad spinner or a clean cloth. Tear any large ones into pieces.
- 3Put the leaves in a bowl and dress them generously with the olive oil, the vinegar, salt and pepper. Add the green garlic and toss, then leave them while you fry the pork.
- 4Heat the teaspoon of oil in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the cansalada for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring, until the pieces are crisp and golden.
- 5Scatter the hot pork over the salad and serve straight away.
Andorran mountain tradition, as published in the Andorran government tourism recipe collection.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Andorra la Vella. Andorra is a country of high valleys with no coast and a short growing season, so the pantry is whatever keeps: cured mountain charcuterie, cheese off the summer pastures, mushrooms gathered in autumn, and escudella, the Catalan stew of meat and vegetables tied to the January festivals.
🗺️
Andorra. Escudella is winter and festival food, tied to the January feasts of Sant Antoni and Sant Sebastia, a long-simmered pot of meat, vegetables and pasta served as broth first and solids after. Andorra la Vella is the highest capital in Europe, and the growing season is short enough that cured sausage, mountain cheese and foraged mushrooms fill the gap.
🌍
Europe. European cooking is built on the land and the seasons, wheat, butter, and cured pork in the north; olive oil, tomatoes, and seafood around the Mediterranean; preserved vegetables and hearty stews through long winters. Centuries of peasant tradition, guild craft, and royal courts refined techniques from French mother sauces to Italian fresh pasta and Central European baking. Regional identity runs remarkably deep, with a single dish often changing from one valley to the next.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Andorra
TrinxatMountain cabbage and potato mashed together, then crisped in a pan with bacon like a rustic Pyrenean rösti.
Pa amb TomàquetRustic bread rubbed with ripe tomato and garlic, drizzled with olive oil and salt.
EscudellaA mountain stew of meats, beans, and pasta with a big pilota meatball, the winter soul-food of Andorra.
Browse all Andorra recipes →
Good to know
You’ll need: Skillet or frying pan.
Storing it: Best assembled just before serving. Prep the components ahead and dress at the last moment so it stays crisp.
Make it an Andorra meal
CocaDessert
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Cuisine
Diet
Frequently asked questions
What is Amanida de Xicoies (Andorran Dandelion Salad with Bacon)?
Tender young dandelion leaves from the spring meadows, dressed with plenty of olive oil, vinegar and green garlic and topped with hot, crisp pieces of fried pork belly.
Where does Amanida de Xicoies (Andorran Dandelion Salad with Bacon) come from?
Amanida de Xicoies (Andorran Dandelion Salad with Bacon) is an Andorran dish from Andorra la Vella, Andorra.
Can Amanida de Xicoies (Andorran Dandelion Salad with Bacon) be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Amanida de Xicoies (Andorran Dandelion Salad with Bacon) recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions. Treat the substitutions as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Amanida de Xicoies (Andorran Dandelion Salad with Bacon) safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we still count coconut as a tree nut to be cautious, although the FDA stopped listing it as one in 2025), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Amanida de Xicoies (Andorran Dandelion Salad with Bacon) take to make?
About 1 h in all: 20 minutes prep and 10 minutes cooking, plus 30 min of hands-off waiting the method needs, serving 4.
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