Cooking Catalan food vegan. It works.

This hands-on course is a fun way to learn traditional Catalan recipes without meat or dairy, including the kind of comfort food you actually want to cook and serve at home. I especially like that you get a small-group, practical format where everyone cooks and then sits down for the tasting, not just watching. One thing to consider: the exact number of recipes can shift with the group size, so your menu might be slightly different from someone else’s.

If you’re hoping for a huge lineup of different dishes, plan for a more focused set. My advice: bring a good appetite and treat it like a shared dinner you learn to cook, not a fast food sampler.

Quick hits before you go

• 100% plant based Catalan classics: Think fricandó, suquet de mar, cannelloni, and menjar blanc made vegan.
• Small-group cooking: You’ll cook and taste as a group of about 4 to a maximum of 8.
• Clear timing: A 20–30 minute intro, 1.5–2 hours cooking, then 1.5–2 hours eating.
• A real Catalan pastry start: Sobrasada-style vegan pastries plus ocean fritters with all i oli.
• Take-home recipes by email: You get the recipes as a PDF the following Monday.
• Welcome drink included: One drink per person, with more available for purchase at the end.

Vegan Catalan food: familiar flavors, smart swaps

Catalan cooking has a strong identity: hearty stews, seafood-style sauces, almond-based sweets, and bakery items that feel like they belong to a neighborhood. What I like about this class is that the vegan approach is built to keep those same food memories in place.

You’ll cook dishes like Fricandó (a mountain seitan stew with mushrooms) and Suquet de mar (a Catalan ocean stew using daikon). The point is not to copy the look of meat or fish; it’s to keep the cooking logic—slow flavors, savory textures, and the sauces that make Catalan meals feel complete.

Dessert leans into Catalonia’s love of almonds with Menjar blanc, an almond cream. If you’ve ever wanted to taste what “classic” means in this region but in a plant based way, this course is a straight shot.

Finding In Bloom Cooking School behind Plaza España

The meeting point is In Bloom Cooking School, behind Plaza España and behind the Arenas mall. It’s a practical location if you’re already using that area as a hub for transport and sightseeing.

This is also the kind of setup where you can step out of the city for a few hours and focus. The class runs as a complete cooking-and-tasting event, so you’re not constantly commuting between spots.

One more practical tip: wear clothes that can handle kitchen time. Even with an orderly setup, you’ll be handling ingredients and cooking tools for about two hours.

How the 20–30 minute start makes you faster in the kitchen

Your course begins with a 20–30 minute presentation that lays out what you’ll do and why. This is one of the best parts of cooking classes when it’s done well: it helps you understand the flow, so you’re not guessing when you’re at the stove.

In sessions led by instructors like Laura (shown in past groups), the coaching tends to be hands-on and quick to problem-solve. The goal is that everyone can contribute without feeling lost.

You’ll also learn what’s happening with each dish: how the vegan ingredients are behaving and what texture or flavor you’re aiming for. That matters because some vegan swaps taste great but cook differently, and you’ll want to know the difference before you start.

Cooking your way through a Catalan starter-to-dessert line-up

The class is structured so everyone cooks and then tastes what you made. The number of recipes depends on group size, but the menu structure gives you a clear Catalan arc: savory start, big main dishes, and a sweet finish.

Starters: sobrasada pastries and ocean fritters

You’ll begin with Sobrasada pastries. In vegan form, this is a cured smoked paprika paste style filling, wrapped into pastry so you get that classic peppery depth without meat.

Next comes ocean fritters with all i oli. The idea is playful and very Catalan: fritters give you crunch and comfort, while all i oli ties the flavors together with a garlic-forward, rich sauce.

These starters are great for first time cooks because they teach you two different kinds of flavor building: spice depth (sobrasada-style) and sauce balance (all i oli). If you want to leave with techniques you can actually reuse later, pay attention here.

Mains: cannelloni, fricandó, suquet de mar, and butifarra

For mains, you’ll work through several dishes that sound like a menu from a Catalan lunch table.

You’ll make seasonal cannelloni with béchamel. Béchamel is the backbone of comfort cooking, and in vegan versions it’s all about getting the right thickness and seasoning so it feels smooth, not watery.

Then you’ll cook Fricandó, described as a mountain seitan stew with mushrooms. This dish matters because it teaches a slow-simmer mindset: you’re building body through mushrooms and stew technique, not just through seasoning.

Another highlight is Suquet de mar, a Catalan ocean stew using daikon. Daikon brings a different kind of bite than seafood, but the stew approach is the lesson: create that layered savory base so it feels like a proper Catalan ocean-style meal.

Finally, you’ll tackle Butifarra, a white beans vegan sausage. This is one of the more distinctive Catalan flavors in the lineup, and it helps you see how bean-based ingredients can create the right kind of savory satisfaction.

Dessert: almond cream that tastes like home cooking

You’ll end with Menjar blanc, an almond cream. It’s sweet but not overly complicated, and it’s a nice way to close out the class without turning dessert into a second full cooking project.

If you love desserts that feel like they come from a bakery and a grandmother’s kitchen, this is the right finish.

Tasting time: what to focus on so it becomes a learning meal

After cooking, you get a 1.5–2 hour tasting period. This is where the class turns into something more than technique. You’re eating together and comparing what your group made, which helps you understand the difference between “I followed steps” and “I tasted the outcome.”

When you taste, I recommend you pay attention to texture first. For example: does the cannelloni béchamel hold its shape? Does the fricandó feel stew-like rather than just seasoned vegetables? Does the suquet de mar have that deep, satisfying base even without seafood?

Also, taste each dish the way you’d serve it. If you eat too quickly, you miss what makes it Catalan: the balance of salt, spice, and sauce thickness.

You’ll likely chat with your instructor and the group during this part, because the meal naturally pulls people into conversation. One past group highlighted conversation as a major part of the fun, which tracks with how communal meals work.

Drinks, leftovers, and the small extras that affect value

One welcome drink is included per person. After that, you can get more drinks in the location and pay at the end of the event.

I like this setup because it keeps the course price straightforward while still letting you order what you want. You’re not forced into a drink package, and you can decide after you’ve settled in.

Another practical detail: bring a Tupperware if you want leftovers. They specifically encourage taking food home, which makes the whole session more cost-effective. If you’re traveling, this is also a lifesaver when you need a simple meal later.

You’ll also receive the recipes by email as a PDF the following Monday. That’s the part that extends the value beyond the day itself, because you can actually repeat the dishes at home instead of remembering only flavors.

Price and value: what $93 buys you in real terms

At about $93 per person for 4 hours, this isn’t a bargain class. But it’s also not a “pay for seats” show. You’re paying for ingredients, instruction, equipment, and a full tasting meal built from what you cook.

Here’s why it’s good value if you like hands-on food experiences:

• You cook multiple Catalan dishes in one session, not just one recipe.
• You eat what you make, so the meal time is part of the product.
• One welcome drink is included, plus you can purchase more if you want.
• The recipe PDF follow-up helps you re-create the food later, which stretches the value.

It’s also a smart choice for couples or small groups who want more conversation and less crowd noise. With groups of 4 and up to around 8, you’re not lost in a giant class.

Who this vegan Catalan cooking class is best for

This course is a strong match if you:

• want traditional Catalan dishes translated into 100% plant based cooking
• enjoy learning cooking techniques, not just eating
• prefer small-group instruction where everyone takes part
• like almond desserts and stew-style comfort food

It’s also a good fit for travelers who want culture through food. Past groups have described feeling like they learned Catalan culture through the dishes and the conversation around them, which is exactly how a good cooking class should work.

Not suitable for kids under 10, and it’s best for adults and older teens who can handle a kitchen setting and the pacing.

Should you book In Bloom’s vegan Catalan cooking course?

If your goal is a hands-on, tasty, genuinely food-focused experience in Barcelona, I’d book it. You get a full structure—intro, cooking, then a real sit-down tasting—and the menu covers both savory Catalan staples and a classic almond finish.

One reason you might hesitate: if you’re chasing the widest possible variety of dishes in a single evening, remember that the number of recipes depends on the group size. That doesn’t mean it’s less fun; it just means the menu is designed for depth and participation.

FAQ

How long is the Barcelona Catalan vegan cooking course?

It lasts about 4 hours, including a 20–30 minute presentation, 1.5–2 hours of cooking, and 1.5–2 hours of tasting.

Where do I meet for the class?

You meet at In Bloom Cooking School, located behind Plaza España and behind the Arenas mall.

Is the class truly 100% vegan?

Yes. The course is described as using 100% plant based products for the recipes you cook and taste.

What dishes will we cook and eat?

The course includes starters like Sobrasada pastries and ocean fritters with all i oli, mains such as seasonal cannelloni with béchamel, fricandó, suquet de mar, and butifarra, plus dessert: Menjar blanc almond cream. The final number of recipes can depend on group size.

Is a drink included in the price?

Yes. One welcome drink per person is included. Additional drinks can be purchased at the location and paid at the end.

When will I receive the recipes?

You’ll receive the recipes by email as a PDF the following Monday.

Are there any limits on who can join?

The course is not suitable for children under 10 years. It also notes an indoor smoking restriction and general rules about items not allowed, like weapons or sharp objects.