• Whisk together 1 TBSP ground flax with 3 TBSP water and pop it in the fridge to set.
• Skip the above step if using an egg instead of a flax egg.
• Next coarsely fork-mash 1 cup of black beans in a large bowl.
• Add 1/4 cup of whole black beans to the mix (it gives the burgers great texture) + set aside.
• Next saute onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, and half the zucchini in olive oil until tender, adding the garlic towards the end to prevent burning. This should only take a few minutes.
• Season the veggies with cumin, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne pepper, then stir to coat.
• Add the freshly sauteed veggies to your beans along with your chipotle pepper.
• Add 1 cup of oats to a food processor and blend until it resembles a coarse powder. This step is 100% optional, though I feel like blending the oats helps the burgers stay together a bit better. This is totally up to you since it's delicious both ways!
• Add the oats and the remainder of your zucchini to the bowl.
• Remove your flax egg from the fridge, add it to the burger mixture and stir.
• If the mixture seems too wet, feel free to add another 2-4 TBSP of oats as needed
• Stir to fully incorporate and roll mixture into four balls.
• For optimal burger shape, cup each ball in your hands and squeeze tightly, rotating as you gently, but firmly, press it into a disc.
• Place your burgers onto a plate, cover with foil or cling wrap and refrigerate as you prep your buns [or lettuce wraps!] and toppings. This will give them a little while to set. You can even leave them overnight and cook them up the following day. I often make one after about 30 minutes of chill time and cook up the rest the following day. Cooked burgers can absolutely be frozen and reheated. Score!
• READY TO EAT? Pour a tablespoon or two of your favorite healthy oil in a skillet and heat to medium-high, so the burgers sizzle when you add them to the pan!
• Cook for a few minutes on each side until you're left with a golden crust. and a warm center. Repeat for each burger, or cook two at once if you have a big enough pan! I'd skip crowding all four together just because they're a pain to flip when all up in eachother's business. A tip for perfectly shaped veggie burgers? While sizzling away in the skillet, I use my spatula to nudge the sides of each patty. This gently helps form the sides into a perfect disc. Works like a charm!

FOR THE SAUCE:

• Using a blender, food processor, or immersion blender, combine ingredients and blend until smooth. Alternatively you may mince the chipotle, smash into a paste, and whisk together with the remaining ingredients to make your sauce. Since they're super bold (and slightly spicy to some), feel free to ease your way into it and start with half of a chipotle pepper and then add more as desired, tasting as you go. Feeling saucy? Double the recipe and try it on EVERYTHING!