Barcelona’s vegan boom brings a new take on Catalan cuisine

Catalonia’s rich culinary tradition is evolving, with more restaurants and markets across Barcelona embracing vegan food to meet the changing tastes and values around health and the environment.

Since pledging to become a 'veg-friendly' city in 2016, Barcelona has taken big steps toward promoting plant-based eating. 

Restaurants are offering animal-free versions of old favorites, while plenty of fully vegan eateries have opened up, catering to both locals and tourists seeking healthier and more ethical dining options.

A vegan diet, unlike a vegetarian one, excludes all animal products, including meat, dairy, eggs, fish, and even honey. But veganism goes beyond food, explained Sara Torres, a dietitian specializing in vegan and vegetarian nutrition.

"We understand veganism largely as a dietary trend," Torres said to Catalan News, "but it also advocates for cosmetics or clothing, trying to avoid using leisure activities where we know animals can be exploited or used for human benefit." 

A plant-based diet has many benefits in terms of cardiovascular health, metabolic diseases, certain risks of childhood obesity, and it is preventive for certain types of cancer, the dietitian explained. 

Traditional flavors

Yet choosing vegan food in Catalonia doesn’t mean giving up traditional flavors. Many classic dishes can be recreated without animal products, Torres explained. "Some of these dishes are very easy to veganize."

Students at In Bloom Cooking School, located in Barcelona’s Eixample neighborhood, learn how to prepare vegan versions of Catalan classics, as well as dishes from other cuisines. 

"Catalan cuisine can be vegan very easily if we just avoid the meat and substitute it with something else," said Laura Bonet, founder of the school.

Classics like cannelloni, known in Catalan as 'canelons,' fideuà, and even crema catalana can be made without using any animal products.

"I think the main Catalan flavors are not the meat flavors," Bonet said to Catalan New, "it is everything else that we use for it."

Traditional cooking, she explained, relied heavily on natural, plant-based ingredients like mushrooms, beans, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and a wide range of fruits. "This all gives the flavors that we all know as Catalan cuisine."

While the school focuses on plant-based recipes, according to the chef, around 70% of her students are not vegan, but join for the experience or to support vegan friends and family.

That growing curiosity reflects a larger trend across the city with new spots opening at an impressive pace, making veganism more appealing to wider audiences. "In the last 10 years, the amount of restaurants that opened is insane," Bonet said. 

Markets like La Boqueria and Mercat de Sant Antoni are expanding their plant-based offerings, with more stalls selling fresh vegetables, legumes, nuts, and meat alternatives.

"You can buy tofu in almost every supermarket now, " the chef said, "so I think it's also more approachable to people." 

Plant-based products like tofu, seitan, and textured soy aren’t just found in specialty stores as they are now available for regular supermarkets, the dietitian explained. "Here in Barcelona there are plenty of product options to buy and have."

As veganism continues to grow in popularity it is increasingly being seen not just as a diet, but as a lifestyle connected to broader concerns. "It's not just something ethical for the animals, it's also because of climate change," Bonet said, "everything has to do with veganism right now."