Barcelona: Vegan Paella and traditional rice dishes

Barcelona’s rice tradition gets a plant-based makeover at In Bloom Cooking School. You’ll help prepare dishes such as Paella Valenciana with Heura chicken-style pieces and black rice with konjac prawns, then sit down with the group to taste the food buffet-style. I like the hands-on format and the chance to compare several distinct rice dishes in one class.

I also like that this is a fully vegan cooking school, rather than a standard class with one token plant-based option. One consideration: the recipes covered depend on the group size, so you may not cook every dish listed. The experience lasts four hours, which is generous if you want a proper cooking session, but a sizeable commitment on a short Barcelona visit.

Key points to know

• Four plant-based Spanish dishes are on the menu: paella, oven-baked rice, black rice, and fideuà, a dish made with fine pasta.
• Recipes vary with group size: the class runs with a group size of four people, and the number of recipes made depends on how many take part.
• You share the finished food: after cooking, the group enjoys the dishes together as a buffet, so everyone can taste them.
• One drink is included: additional drinks are available at the school and are paid for at the end.
• Bring a container: a Tupperware is recommended for leftovers.
• The school is near Plaza España: find In Bloom Cooking School behind Arenas mall.

A vegan cooking class built around Spanish rice

This four-hour class is about learning by making food, not simply watching a chef prepare it. The recipes draw on familiar Spanish rice dishes, then replace meat and seafood with plant-based ingredients such as Heura, black-bean sausage, and konjac-based prawns and squid.

That distinction matters if you’re curious about Spanish cooking but eat vegan, or if you want to understand how classic dishes can be adapted without turning the meal into a separate, lesser menu. The class is entirely plant-based, so the ingredients and recipes share one clear approach.

The format also gives you a taste of different cooking traditions in one sitting. Valencian paella, oven-baked rice, black rice, and fideuà each bring a different set of ingredients and textures. You might not make every recipe, since the number covered depends on group size, but all participants share the dishes that are prepared.

What the four hours are likely to feel like

Plan on a substantial cooking session, not a quick demonstration followed by lunch. The class lasts four hours, with participants making and tasting the recipes together. The exact order of cooking and how many recipes are included depend on the group, so don’t expect a fixed set of steps or a guaranteed chance to prepare every dish.

The value of the format is that you take part in the work and then eat the results. That can make the cooking lessons easier to remember than a recipe handed to you after a demonstration. It also makes this a social activity: the food is shared as a buffet at the end, rather than served as separate individual plates.

The setting has earned praise for its food and atmosphere, and the instructor has been described as interesting and fun. There is no instructor name provided, so you can’t request a particular teacher. The listed teaching languages are Catalan, English, German, and Spanish.

Paella Valenciana, with beans and plant-based chicken

The Paella Valenciana recipe uses Bomba rice, green beans, garrafó, vegetable broth, and marinated, grilled Heura in a chicken-style preparation. Garrafó is identified as a Valencian fava bean, giving the dish a local ingredient alongside the rice and green beans.

For a visitor, this is a useful way to see how a familiar paella structure can be kept while its meat element changes. The plant-based Heura is marinated and grilled, rather than simply added as a generic substitute. The recipe makes clear that the class is concerned with the dish as a whole: rice, broth, vegetables, beans, and the way the main ingredient fits in.

If this is the dish you most want to learn, keep in mind that the group size affects how many recipes are made. The class lists four possible recipes, but does not promise that every participant will prepare all four. You can ask the school about the planned recipe selection before booking if one particular dish is essential to you.

Oven rice with tomatoes, chickpeas, and vegan sausage

Arròs al forn, or oven rice, brings a different style to the class. Its listed ingredients include Bomba rice, tomatoes, potatoes, chickpeas, and vegetable broth, along with marinated mushrooms prepared bacon-style and a vegan sausage made from black beans.

This recipe is a good example of how the class moves beyond a single paella lesson. The ingredients suggest a more substantial, layered dish, with beans and potatoes joining the rice. The mushroom and black-bean sausage preparations give it smoky and savory elements without relying on meat.

For anyone who cooks at home, this may be the most useful recipe to compare with paella. You get a chance to see how a different Spanish rice preparation uses its ingredients and cooking method to create another kind of meal. The class information identifies this as oven rice, but does not give a separate cooking demonstration schedule or exact step-by-step method in advance.

Black rice with konjac prawns and allioli

Arròs negre is the black-rice dish, made here with black rice, seaweed, peas, green and red peppers, and seaweed broth. Its seafood-style element comes from vegan prawns made with konjac. Allioli, a garlic sauce, is served as part of the recipe.

This is likely to appeal if you’re interested in plant-based cooking that draws on the flavors associated with the sea. Seaweed broth and konjac provide the marine direction, while the allioli adds a familiar garlicky finish. It offers a different flavor profile from the vegetable-broth paella and oven rice.

The description also lists wine among the ingredients for this recipe as rancid wine. Because that wording is unusual and may need clarification, ask the school about it if you have questions about the recipe or an ingredient restriction. No further detail is provided about the wine.

Fideuà, made with pasta instead of rice

Fideuà is presented as paella made with fine pasta. The class recipe combines pasta, aubergine, red pepper, white wine, seaweed broth, and marinated, grilled konjac squid.

This is the clearest reminder that the experience is about traditional rice dishes and related Spanish preparations, not rice alone. Fideuà uses pasta as its base, while keeping the sea-inspired flavor direction through seaweed broth and the plant-based squid. If you’ve never tried it, this class offers a way to compare it directly with the rice dishes being prepared.

As with the other recipes, you should not assume it will be part of every session. The number of recipes depends on the group size. If fideuà is a particular draw, confirm what is planned rather than booking on the assumption that all four recipes are guaranteed.

The shared buffet is part of the lesson

Once the dishes are prepared, the whole group enjoys them together as a buffet. That is a practical arrangement: you get to taste the food made by everyone, not just the recipe you worked on. It also turns the end of the class into a chance to compare the different preparations.

I like this part of the format because a single recipe can only show you so much. Sampling several dishes makes the differences between the rice, broth, vegetables, and plant-based additions easier to notice. The class description says everyone can taste all the dishes prepared, but the total number of recipes may vary.

Bring a Tupperware if you’d like to take home leftovers. It’s a small, useful tip for a four-hour food-focused activity, especially if you’re visiting with limited time for another meal.

Is $93 a fair price?

At $93 per person, this is more than a casual meal out, but it includes four hours of instruction and cooking, a shared buffet of the dishes made, and one drink. The price makes the most sense if you value the cooking itself, want to learn plant-based versions of Spanish recipes, and have time to enjoy the full session.

If your main goal is simply to eat paella, a restaurant meal will take less time and likely cost less. This class offers something different: participation, several recipe styles, and the chance to try food prepared by the group. The value also depends on how many recipes are included in your session, since the count changes with group size.

Extra drinks are not included. You can buy them at the school and pay for them at the end, so factor that in if you expect to order more than the welcome drink.

Finding the school and planning your visit

In Bloom Cooking School is behind Arenas mall, near Plaza España. That gives you a clear Barcelona landmark for finding the meeting point, though the exact address and directions are not included here. Check the location details when you book, and allow enough time to reach the school before the class starts.

The activity is wheelchair accessible, and children under 10 are not suited to the class. The four-hour duration is worth considering when you plan your day: it leaves less room for other activities than a short tasting, but gives you time for a fuller cooking experience.

You can reserve now and pay later, and cancellation is available up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. Starting times depend on availability. These flexible terms can help if your Barcelona plans are still taking shape.

Who should book this class?

This experience is a good fit if you enjoy cooking, want a plant-based take on Spanish food, or are looking for a shared activity that ends with a proper meal. It’s especially useful if you’re curious about the differences among paella, oven rice, black rice, and fideuà, rather than wanting just one dish.

It may be less appealing if you’re short on time, prefer a quick food tour, or only want a guaranteed lesson in one specific recipe. The group-size condition means the recipe selection can change, so ask ahead if a particular dish is the main reason you’re interested.

Should you book it?

Book this class if four hours of hands-on vegan cooking sounds as appealing as the meal itself. The plant-based versions of Spanish classics, the shared buffet, and the chance to taste several recipes make it a distinctive food experience near Plaza España. Before you commit, check which dishes are planned for your group, and bring a container for leftovers.

FAQ

How long is the cooking class?

The experience lasts four hours.

Where does the class meet?

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

Which languages are available?

The instructor teaches in Catalan, English, German, and Spanish.

What recipes may be included?

The recipes listed are Paella Valenciana, arròs al forn, arròs negre, and fideuà. The number of recipes made depends on the group size.

Will everyone get to taste the food?

Yes. After the dishes are prepared, the group shares them buffet-style so participants can taste all the dishes made.

Is a drink included?

One drink is included in the price. Additional drinks can be purchased at the school and paid for at the end.

Should I bring anything?

Bring a Tupperware if you’d like to take home leftover food.

Can children attend?

The class is not suitable for children under 10.

Is the cooking school wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the activity is listed as wheelchair accessible.

Can I cancel or pay later?

You can reserve now and pay later. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.