In a food processor, grate the zucchini. Then, SUPER IMPORTANT: squeeze out as much of the zucchini’s excess water as you can. Otherwise your black bean burgers will be black bean mush. This is particularly important if you are going to be using canned black beans because those tend to be wetter/mushier than black beans cooked from bulk. If there is too much water, the black bean burgers won’t hold together well; they’ll crumble all over and you won’t have anything that looks like a burger.

You can squeeze the liquid out with a cheesecloth or, let’s be honest, do you think I am fancy enough to have one of those?!? HELL NO. If you’re poor and live in a studio like me, you’ll do it with a strainer and a paper towel. It works just as well.

Next, chop and sautee the onion and garlic clove in a bit of oil for 5 minutes, or until translucent and edges are slightly brown. In a bowl, add 3/4 the can of black beans (about 1 cup canned), sauteed onions and garlic, chilli pepper, ground black pepper, cumin, red pepper flakes, nutritional yeast, and hot sauce. Mash until a sticky paste begins to form. **Pro tip: I prefer to mash the spices with the beans instead of waiting until the last step to add the spices. That way, the flavor really gets integrated into the burger.