Barcelona: Catalan Cuisine cooking course 100% vegan

Barcelona’s Catalan cooking course gives familiar regional dishes a plant-based makeover. In four hours at In Bloom Cooking School, you’ll cook and eat recipes such as mushroom fricandó, cannelloni, and a Catalan ocean stew made with daikon.

I like two things about this format: you learn by making the dishes, not just watching a demonstration, and the recipes keep their Catalan identity while replacing animal products. The shared meal at the end also gives you time to talk through what you’ve cooked.

The main consideration is that the exact menu depends on group size, so you may not make every dish listed. The course also takes four hours, and a welcome drink is included, but additional drinks cost extra.

At a glance

• Catalan classics, made plant-based: Options include mushroom fricandó, ocean stew with daikon, and almond cream.
• A hands-on four-hour session: The schedule includes a short introduction, cooking time, and a seated tasting.
• A menu that can change: The number of recipes depends on how many people join.
• A shared cooking-school meal: Everyone helps prepare and taste the dishes.
• Bring a container: You’re advised to bring a Tupperware for leftovers.
• A central meeting point: In Bloom Cooking School is behind Plaza España and the Arenas mall.

Catalan comfort food, without the animal products

This course is a good fit if you want to understand Catalan cuisine through food rather than a lecture. The recipes are traditional in spirit, but the ingredients are plant based. That means you can try regional names and ideas such as fricandó and suquet de mar without expecting the conventional meat or seafood versions.

The menu can include vegan fricandó, a mountain-style seitan stew with mushrooms, and suquet de mar, a Catalan ocean stew made with daikon. There may also be seasonal cannelloni with béchamel, vegan butifarra with white beans, almond cream, and starters such as sobrasada pastries or ocean fritters with allioli.

These names offer a useful point of comparison: the class is not simply a lesson in generic vegan cooking. It aims to preserve the character of Catalan dishes while adapting them. If you already eat plant based, you may come away with recipes to add to your own kitchen. If you don’t, the course gives you a chance to see how a regional menu can work without meat, dairy, or seafood.

A four-hour session with time to cook and eat

The course lasts four hours. It begins with a presentation of about 20 to 30 minutes, followed by roughly 1.5 to 2 hours of cooking and another 1.5 to 2 hours to taste and enjoy the food you’ve made.

That timing matters. This is not a quick demonstration where you watch a chef assemble a dish and leave with a recipe card. You’ll take part in the preparation, then sit down with the group to eat the results. The tasting is built into the experience, so you have time to try several dishes and talk about them.

The schedule is an estimate, not a promise that every session will follow the same minute-by-minute plan. The number of recipes depends on the group size, so you might make fewer dishes than the full menu suggests. It’s sensible to think of the menu as a selection of possible recipes, not a fixed checklist.

The course requires a minimum group of four people. One class was described as having a maximum of eight, which suggests a relatively small working group, though that size is not guaranteed for every date.

What you might make, from sobrasada pastries to almond cream

The possible starters set the tone. Sobrasada pastries use a plant-based version of the cured, smoked paprika spread, while the ocean fritters are served with allioli. Both reinterpret familiar flavors rather than trying to pass as ordinary meat or seafood.

Main dishes range from seasonal cannelloni with béchamel to fricandó, the mushroom stew made with seitan. The suquet de mar takes a different route, using daikon in place of seafood. Vegan butifarra, a white-bean dish inspired by the Catalan sausage, is another possible recipe.

For dessert, the menu includes menjar blanc, an almond cream. That makes a useful finish to a meal built around regional cooking: it introduces a traditional Catalan sweet while keeping the whole session plant based.

You should not assume that every dish will appear in your class. The recipe count varies with the number of participants, and the course describes these as possible dishes. If one recipe matters especially to you, ask the school before booking rather than counting on it.

Cooking together is the point

The school says participants make and taste the recipes together. That shared work is the heart of the class: you don’t just take home a list of ingredients, you get practice preparing dishes and a chance to see how they come together as a meal.

The instructor’s role can make a big difference in a hands-on class. Laura led one session, where she had the ingredients, recipes, and equipment ready and guided people through the cooking. The result, as described by someone who attended, was that everyone’s dishes came out well. Laura may not be your instructor, though, so treat her name as a helpful detail rather than a guarantee.

The social side seems equally important. One couple particularly valued the conversation alongside the cooking and eating. That makes this a better choice if you enjoy sharing a table and working in a group than if you prefer a quiet, private lesson.

What $93 buys you

At $93 per person, this is more than a cooking demonstration, but the price covers a four-hour experience: an introduction, hands-on preparation, a meal of the recipes you’ve made, and one welcome drink. You’re paying for both instruction and food, with the tasting serving as the main meal component of the session.

The value depends on what you want from a cooking class. If you’re keen to learn a few Catalan recipes and spend time cooking with others, the extended format gives you more than a short class followed by a quick sample. If you mainly want an inexpensive meal, this is probably not the best way to get one. You’re paying for the process as much as the food.

Additional drinks are available for purchase at the school and are paid for at the end. Bring a Tupperware container if you’d like to take leftovers home. That small bit of preparation is worthwhile when the class involves several dishes, although you shouldn’t count on there being leftovers.

Getting to In Bloom Cooking School

The meeting point is In Bloom Cooking School, behind Plaza España and the Arenas mall. That location is the practical detail to keep in mind when planning your day. Check the starting time and make sure you know which side of the mall the school is on before setting out.

The course is offered in Catalan, Spanish, English, and German. If you have a preferred language, check that it’s available for the session you choose. The school is listed as wheelchair accessible, but if you need specific access arrangements, it’s still wise to confirm details directly.

Food and drinks from outside are not allowed. Smoking indoors, alcohol and drugs, weapons or sharp objects, fireworks, explosive substances, nudity, and unaccompanied minors are also prohibited. Children under 10 are not suited to this activity.

Who will enjoy this class most

This course makes the most sense for people curious about Catalan food who also want a fully plant-based meal. It suits vegans, vegetarians, and anyone interested in how familiar regional dishes can be adapted without losing their local character.

It’s also a good pick for couples or friends who like cooking together. The class combines practical work with a shared meal, and the group format gives you a natural chance to talk with the instructor and other participants. If you’re looking for a private lesson, a quick activity, or a fixed menu with every listed dish guaranteed, this may not be the right fit.

The four-hour length is worth considering. You’ll spend much of your session preparing food and eating it, so leave enough room in your schedule rather than trying to squeeze this between two tightly timed plans. And if you have a particular dish in mind, remember that the recipes offered depend on the group size.

Should you book it?

Book this class if you want to cook, not just eat, and you’re interested in Catalan food presented in a fully plant-based way. The combination of traditional recipes, hands-on preparation, and a shared tasting gives the experience a clear purpose beyond a standard meal.

Think twice if you need a guaranteed recipe list or want a short, low-cost activity. The menu can vary, and four hours is a real commitment. If the flexible menu and group setting suit you, the cooking-school format offers a practical way to explore Catalan dishes while learning recipes you can take home. You’ll receive the recipes by email as a PDF the following Monday.

FAQ

How long does the cooking course last?

The experience lasts four hours. It includes a 20 to 30 minute introduction, about 1.5 to 2 hours of cooking, and about 1.5 to 2 hours for tasting and enjoying the food.

Where does the class meet?

It meets at In Bloom Cooking School, behind Plaza España and the Arenas mall in Barcelona.

What kind of food will I prepare?

The class focuses on plant-based versions of Catalan recipes. Possible dishes include mushroom fricandó, cannelloni, suquet de mar with daikon, vegan butifarra with white beans, and menjar blanc almond cream.

Will I make every dish listed?

Not necessarily. The number of recipes depends on the number of participants, so the dishes prepared can vary.

Is a drink included?

One welcome drink per person is included. You can buy additional drinks at the school and pay for them at the end.

Should I bring anything?

Bring a Tupperware container if you’d like to take leftover food home. Outside food and drinks are not allowed.

What languages are available?

The course is offered in Catalan, Spanish, English, and German.

Is the cooking school wheelchair accessible?

Yes. The activity is listed as wheelchair accessible.

Is the course suitable for children?

It is not suitable for children under 10. Unaccompanied minors are not allowed.