Barcelona: Catalan Cuisine cooking course 100% vegan

You can taste Catalonia without meat. This 4-hour hands-on course turns beloved Catalan cuisine into a fully plant-based meal plan, complete with cooking and a sit-down tasting. It’s held at In Bloom Cooking School behind Plaza España, a short walk from the Arenas mall area, and it focuses on practical technique as much as flavor.

I love the dish lineup, especially the chance to learn Catalan standouts like fricandó and suquet de mar in vegan form. I also like the small-group feel, where your instructor Laura keeps the workflow moving and makes sure everyone’s actually cooking, not just watching.

One thing to consider: the recipes can vary depending on group size (the format starts with small groups and the number of dishes changes accordingly), so you’ll want to plan for a menu that’s traditional but not always identical from class to class.

Key highlights to know before you cook

• 100% plant-based versions of Catalan classics, including fricandó and suquet de mar
• Small-group course (starts at 4 people, with classes reported up to 8), so you get time at the cutting board
• A real tasting portion after cooking, not just a quick sample
• Recipes are emailed as a PDF the following Monday, useful for recreating the dishes later
• Welcome drink included, with extra drinks available for purchase on site
• Bring a Tupperware if you want leftovers, because you’ll likely have some

Catalan classics, rebuilt as 100% plant-based meals

Catalan food is built on comfort. Think mushrooms, stews, baked pasta shapes, and those creamy almond desserts that show up all over the region. What makes this course so appealing is that it doesn’t treat vegan food like a compromise. It treats it like a legitimate way to cook Catalan.

The menu leans traditional, then swaps in plant-based moves where needed. You’ll see how a classic can still feel Catalan even when the ingredients are different, like mountain seitan showing up in fricandó instead of meat. Same idea with suquet de mar, where daikon helps create that ocean-stew character. That’s the whole point: roots stay, but the plate changes.

And you’re not just learning recipes for their own sake. You’re learning the logic behind them. Why certain textures matter. How sauces should feel. When you should season. You’ll leave with a better sense of how Catalonia tastes, not just what to make.

In Bloom Cooking School, behind Plaza España

The meeting point is In Bloom Cooking School, located behind Plaza España, behind the Arenas mall. That’s handy for two reasons. First, you won’t burn half your class time figuring out where you are. Second, the location makes it easy to pair this with other central Barcelona plans before or after your 4-hour session.

Inside, the format is set up for active cooking and then a shared meal. You’re going to use the space, not just stand near it. The course also lists wheelchair accessibility, so the school layout is meant to work for guests who need that.

Language support is another practical win. The instructor speaks Catalan, Spanish, English, and German. If your cooking vocabulary in another language is shaky, you’ll still be able to follow along and ask questions without guessing.

The 4-hour rhythm: briefing, cooking, then tasting

This is a structured half-day with a clear flow, which helps you stay relaxed and actually enjoy it. Plan for the full 4 hours.

Here’s the timing you can expect:

• A 20-30 minute presentation and event overview
• 1.5-2 hours of cooking
• 1.5-2 hours of tasting and enjoying what you made

The starter-to-dessert progression matters. You start with techniques that build momentum, then move into the heavier dishes, and finish with something sweet and distinctly Catalan. After you cook, you sit down as a group. That’s where the experience turns from a class into a meal you’ll remember.

Group size affects what you get. The course format starts from 4 participants, and the recipes you cook are determined by the number of people. One review noted a class focused on traditional dishes in a maximum group size of 8. So you can expect a small class, but the exact dish count can shift.

Also pay attention to drinks. Your welcome drink per person is included. After that, you can buy more drinks in the location and settle the bill at the end. It’s good to know so you don’t get surprised when you’re ready for a second round.

Starters you’ll cook: sobrasada pastries and ocean fritters

The starter portion is where the course starts telling you what this cooking school is about. You’re not stuck with only mild flavors. You’re going into Catalan territory right away.

Your starter list includes:

• Sobrasada pastries made with cured smoked paprika paste
• Ocean fritters served with all i oli (a plant-based version)

Sobrasada is one of those Catalan ingredients that carries serious identity. Even in vegan form, it’s a flavor anchor: smoky, paprika-forward, and deeply savory. Expect the class to focus on the pastry handling and seasoning balance, because cured flavors can overpower if you go too heavy. This is the kind of dish where getting the texture right matters as much as the taste.

Then comes the ocean fritters with all i oli. Fritters are all about consistency and timing, and they’re also a great “teamwork dish.” One part gets prepped while another part gets heated, and suddenly you’re managing a mini kitchen with guidance.

What I like about starting here is that both starters teach different skills. You’ll practice flavor building with the sobrasada pastries, then you’ll switch gears into a friendlier, fry-focused rhythm with the fritters.

Main courses: seasonal cannelloni, fricandó, suquet de mar, and butifarra

The mains are where Catalan comfort food really shows off. You’ll likely cook a mix of baked, sauced, and stew-style dishes, which means you experience a broader chunk of the cuisine in one go.

Here are the main dishes offered in this course:

• Seasonal cannelloni with béchamel
• Fricandó, described as a mountain seitan stew with mushrooms
• Suquet de mar, a Catalan ocean stew using daikon
• Butifarra, made from white beans as a vegan sausage

Let’s make sense of what those dishes mean for you as a cook.

Cannelloni with béchamel

Cannelloni is a classic baked dish, and béchamel is a skill test. Even if you’ve made pasta before, this is the kind of sauce you learn by doing. In a course setting, you get immediate correction on thickness and seasoning, which saves you from learning the hard way later at home.

Fricandó with mushrooms

Fricandó is a mountain stew vibe, and here it’s built with seitan and mushrooms. That matters because mushrooms bring depth and chew, while seitan can mimic the satisfying bite you’d usually expect from a meat-based stew. The course format should help you understand how to balance richness so it tastes like fricandó, not like generic mushroom stew.

Suquet de mar with daikon

Suquet de mar is a Catalan ocean stew. In vegan form, it uses daikon to create that sea-like satisfaction. The interesting takeaway isn’t just the dish itself. It’s the idea that you can chase a flavor and texture profile, then choose ingredients that behave similarly.

Butifarra from white beans

Butifarra is a white bean vegan sausage. That means you’re dealing with shaping and seasoning, not just sauce and heat. You’ll likely learn how to get a sausage-like result without a casing, and how to think about salt, fat, and spice balance so the flavor lands like the real thing.

If you’re worried about “too many stews,” don’t be. The course keeps moving, and the tasting at the end ties it together so you can judge what you made as a complete meal.

Dessert is menjar blanc almond cream

For dessert, the course serves:

• Menjar blanc, an almond cream

This is a dessert that feels Catalan in a gentle way. It’s not just sweet, it’s creamy and comforting, and it fits perfectly after savory stews and baked pasta. Almond flavors also give you an anchor back to the region, since nuts and dairy-like textures show up in lots of Catalan sweets.

If you’re the type who likes recipes you can repeat at home, menjar blanc is a great one. It’s easier than many elaborate desserts, and it gives you a satisfying finish that doesn’t require fancy plating tricks.

What you take home: PDF recipes and leftover power

You don’t leave empty-handed. You’ll receive the recipes per email as a PDF the following Monday. That’s genuinely useful because you can revisit the steps without trying to remember them while jet-lagged.

One more practical tip: the course specifically advises bringing a Tupperware to take leftover food home. In a 4-hour class, you can end up with more food than you expect, especially if your schedule includes snacks later. Having a container means you can pack it and avoid turning lunch into “whatever finds me” when you’re hungry again.

Also note the class runs rules that keep things focused. Food and drinks are restricted inside the session beyond what’s provided. Smoking indoors is not allowed. Alcohol or drugs are not allowed. Those are typical kitchen-school rules, but it’s good to know so you can plan your day and stay compliant.

Price and value: is $93 worth a vegan Catalan cooking class?

At $93 per person for 4 hours, you’re paying for more than ingredients. You’re paying for time, structure, teaching, and a meal built from your own work.

Here’s what you get that makes the cost feel reasonable:

• A full cooking and tasting experience, not a demo
• A guided flow: presentation, cooking blocks, then shared eating
• A small-group setup that helps ensure you participate
• A multi-dish Catalan menu approach, with dishes like fricandó and suquet de mar that are not everyday “intro cooking class” topics
• A welcome drink included, plus recipes emailed as a PDF later

Could it feel pricey if you’re expecting just one dish? Possibly. That’s why the group-size factor matters. The number of recipes you cook depends on how many people are in your class. You’ll get your best value if you show up ready to cook and taste, not just to sample one small plate.

My advice: think of this as a cultural-food experience you can bring home through the PDF recipes. If you like Catalan flavors and want to learn the real technique behind the classics in vegan form, the price makes sense.

Who should book this course in Barcelona

This works best for:

• You if you want a hands-on Barcelona food activity that’s more than sightseeing
• You if vegan cooking interests you, and you’d like to learn Catalan classics through plant-based methods
• You if you enjoy conversations while you cook, since multiple reviews highlighted the social, friendly vibe during the shared meal

It may not be ideal if:

• You’re traveling with kids under 10, since the course says it is not suitable for children under 10
• You want a guaranteed single set menu regardless of class size, because the recipes depend on how many people attend

If you’re unsure about whether you’ll keep the knowledge afterward, the emailed PDF following Monday is a strong reason to book. It turns the class into something you can actually recreate.

Should you book Barcelona Catalan Cuisine cooking, 100% vegan?

I’d book it if you like Catalan food and want a hands-on way to understand it. The dish list is specific and memorable, from sobrasada pastries to fricandó to suquet de mar, plus a sweet ending with menjar blanc. The fact that the course runs a full cooking-and-tasting schedule also makes it feel like a real meal day, not a quick workshop.

Book with confidence if you fit the class format: small group, active participation, and a focus on traditional Catalan recipes reworked into vegan versions. If you want a relaxed evening out, this is not that. If you want a fun, structured food workshop in central Barcelona, this is the kind of plan that pays off.

FAQ

How long is the Barcelona Catalan Cuisine cooking course (100% vegan)?

The experience lasts 4 hours, with a 20-30 minute presentation, 1.5-2 hours of cooking, and 1.5-2 hours of tasting and enjoying the dishes.

What dishes will I cook in this course?

The course includes dishes such as sobrasada pastries, ocean fritters with all i oli, seasonal cannelloni with béchamel, fricandó (mountain seitan stew with mushrooms), suquet de mar (Catalan ocean stew with daikon), butifarra (white beans vegan sausage), and menjar blanc almond cream. The exact number of recipes depends on group size.

Is the course really 100% plant-based?

Yes. The course is described as a 100% plant-based cooking experience using plant-based products.

What is included in the price?

A complete 4-hour cooking and tasting experience is included, along with one welcome drink per person. Drinks beyond that can be purchased on site and paid at the end of the event.

Where do I meet for the class?

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

When will I receive the recipes?

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