Barcelona: Vegan Paella and traditional rice dishes

Vegan paella, with real Spanish technique. This 4-hour class at a 100% vegan cooking school focuses on classic rice cooking methods, then lets you eat what you make in a relaxed group setting.

I like that it is hands-on, with everyone cooking and tasting, not just watching. The only real catch is that the menu is plant-based with ingredient swaps like konjak vegan prawns and heura chicken-style, so paella purists who expect every detail to be identical may need a moment.

Key things I’d plan around

• A small group of 4 keeps the pace friendly and gives you time at the stove.
• You make and taste the recipes together as a buffet, so no one is stuck with just one dish.
• Bomba rice is the backbone of multiple dishes, which matters for that proper paella texture.
• Seaweed and black rice flavors show up in the black sea rice, plus a seaweed broth.
• Drink rules are simple: one drink is included, extra drinks are paid at the end.
• Bring a Tupperware if you want leftovers for later.

Where to find the cooking school near Plaza España

I like the meeting point because it is easy to anchor your day. You’ll meet at In Bloom Cooking School, behind Arenas mall, in the Plaza España area of Barcelona.

This part matters because good classes run on timing. If you show up a little late, you might miss the intro and the first steps, which is when recipes start to make sense. Plan to arrive a few minutes early so you can settle in and get your bearings right away.

Small group of four, and why that feels different

This is not a big, noisy group tour. Your course runs with a group size starting at 4 people, and the class keeps everyone involved.

That small number changes the whole feel. You get more direct attention from the instructor, and you’re more likely to actually touch the process: prepping, cooking steps, and serving. In a lot of food experiences, you taste. Here, you also learn the workflow behind dishes like paella and baked rice.

Also, the instructor team supports multiple languages, including Catalan, English, German, and Spanish. So you’re less likely to miss key instructions if you prefer to understand in your own language.

The vegan rice menu, what you’ll likely cook

The course is built around traditional Spanish rice dishes, but with vegan ingredients that aim to replicate texture and savory flavor.

What to expect on the menu includes:

• Paella Valenciana with bomba rice, green beans, garrofó (valencian fava beans), and a marinated grilled heura chicken-style plus vegetable broth.
• Arròs al forn with vegan sausage (oven rice), using bomba rice, tomatoes, potatoes, chickpeas, and a vegetable broth.
• Arròs negre (black sea rice) with grilled vegan prawns, black rice, seaweed, peas, green pepper, red pepper, and rancid wine, plus seaweed broth.
• Fideuà (fine pasta paella) with vegan konjak squid, using pasta, aubergine, red pepper, white wine, and seaweed broth.
• Allioli, a garlic sauce, which helps pull the flavors together across multiple dishes.

One important detail: the number of recipes you cook and taste depends on how many participants are in your group. In other words, you might not do every item listed, but the class structure is built so everyone still gets to participate and eat.

A 4-hour flow that mixes cooking with a real buffet meal

You should think of the experience as two halves: action at the stove, then a shared meal.

First, you prepare the recipes. Then, once all dishes are ready, the group enjoys them together as a buffet, so you can sample what everyone made. That buffet format is practical. It saves you from the “one dish per person” situation, and it makes it easier to compare results, like how the baked rice differs from the stovetop paella texture.

The atmosphere also matters, and people consistently highlight that the overall vibe is enjoyable, not stiff. If you like cooking in good company, this setup is designed for that.

Dish by dish: what each recipe teaches you

Here is what is happening in the kitchen, recipe by recipe, and what it means for your plate.

Paella Valenciana: bomba rice plus the right bean and greens

This version leans on classic building blocks:

• Bomba rice for that paella-style bite
• Green beans
• Garrofó, Valencian fava beans
• Vegetable broth

On the protein side, you’ll do marinated and grilled heura chicken-style. Heura is popular for its meat-like texture in vegan cooking, so it is a smart choice when you want paella that feels substantial, not just vegetable-heavy.

If you care about learning technique, this dish is a strong foundation. Bomba rice is the key, and the broth plus greens give you a balanced base.

Oven rice, arròs al forn: tomatoes, potatoes, chickpeas, vegan sausage

Arròs al forn is the kind of dish that feels like it belongs to home cooking. Here it includes:

• Bomba rice
• Tomatoes, potatoes, chickpeas
• Vegetable broth
• Vegan sausage made from black beans

Since it is baked, the rice softens and absorbs flavors in a different way than a stovetop paella. I like this dish because it shows you how Spanish rice can be built around time and oven heat, not only simmering.

The black bean sausage choice also matters. It adds savory depth and a firmer bite, so the dish feels like it has a main component, not just seasoning.

Arròs negre, black sea rice: black rice, seaweed broth, konjak prawns

This is where the class gets most “wow” for people who think vegan meals always taste the same. Arròs negre includes:

• Black rice
• Seaweed
• Peas
• Green and red pepper
• Rancid wine (as listed)
• Grilled vegan prawns made from konjak
• Seaweed broth

The use of seaweed and a seaweed broth is the backbone. It creates that briny, ocean-like profile you want for black rice. The konjak vegan prawns add a seafood vibe and provide a different texture from beans or grilled veg.

If you like dishes that have a deeper, darker flavor story, this one is the most distinctive on the menu.

Fideuà with vegan konjak squid: fine pasta paella energy

Fideuà is often called paella with fine pasta, and this class leans into that idea:

• Pasta
• Aubergine
• Red pepper
• White wine
• Seaweed broth
• Vegan marinated and grilled “squid” made from konjak

This is a great recipe if you like saucy, noodle-based comfort food. The seaweed broth brings the same signature flavor direction as arròs negre, while the pasta shifts the texture and how you experience the sauce.

Allioli: the garlic sauce you’ll want again

You also make allioli, a garlic sauce. It is not a side dish you ignore. In a meal that includes several rice styles and multiple vegan proteins, allioli helps unify flavors and adds that punch of garlic richness you expect in Spanish tables.

Drinks, timing, and what to do with leftovers

One drink is included with your price, after that you can purchase additional drinks in the school and pay them at the end.

That matters because it affects your final cost if you plan to drink more than just one. If you want to keep it simple, treat the included drink as your only one and bring water for the rest of the session.

Also, plan ahead for leftovers. The course explicitly tells you to bring a Tupperware if you want to take food home. In a class like this, you often end up with extra rice and sauces, and having a container ready turns the meal into a second dinner.

Languages, ages, and who the course fits best

This cooking school is for adults and older kids. It is not suitable for children under 10.

On the plus side, it is wheelchair accessible, so you can plan without guessing whether the space works.

In terms of languages, you’ll be supported in Catalan, English, German, and Spanish. That reduces the stress of feeling lost in a kitchen.

Who should book:

• You love Spanish rice and want to learn technique, not just eat.
• You eat plant-based and want a vegan version that aims for the textures of the original dishes.
• You want a fun, social class with a small group and a shared buffet.

Who might reconsider:

• You are looking for classic, non-vegan ingredients with no swaps at all.
• You are traveling with very young kids, since the course has an age limit.

Price and value: is $93 per person fair for 4 hours?

At $93 per person for a 4-hour experience, the value depends on what you want from the day.

You are paying for:

• A hands-on cooking class with everyone making and tasting recipes
• A small group format, starting around 4 people
• Multiple dishes built around rice technique, with a buffet tasting so you can try more than one
• One included drink
• An instructor who supports several languages

Where the value really shows is in the meal outcome. If the day gives you a filled buffet with several recipes, the class becomes more than entertainment. You’re effectively buying a cooked dinner that also teaches you how the dishes work.

If you plan to buy extra drinks, your total will rise. But even then, the time commitment and the food volume make it easier to justify than a shorter tasting.

Should you book this vegan paella and rice course in Barcelona?

I’d book it if you want Barcelona flavor without the usual detour. The standout is that it is a 100% vegan school that still centers traditional Spanish rice dishes, including paella Valenciana, arròs al forn, arròs negre, and fideuà.

Book it now if:

• You’re curious about vegan versions that aim to match the texture of seafood and chicken-style dishes using heura and konjak.
• You like structured learning, but still want a fun, social atmosphere.
• You want a small-group class near Plaza España so you can keep the rest of your day flexible.

Skip it if:

• You want only strictly traditional ingredients with no reinterpretation.
• You need a class explicitly designed for kids under 10.

If your travel plan includes at least one meal that feels like an experience, not just a restaurant stop, this one is a strong pick.