Soak sweet corn in the 1/2 Cup of boiling water at least one hour.
Braise/deglaze (directions follow) onions in a medium sized saucepan. Pour vegetable stock into the pan and bring it to the boil. Add the bay leaf, celery seed, marjoram, pepper flakes (but not black pepper, if using), and garlic salt, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add potato, carrots, and raisins and simmer for 10 more minutes. Add sweet corn and cooked beans and cook until vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf, stir soymilk into the chowder (and black pepper, if using), heat just to the simmer, and serve.
Braise/Deglazed Onions: Place saucepan over medium heat, add onion and cover. Let the onions cook, undisturbed, until they just begin to brown and stick, about 5 minutes. Add 1 Tbsp water or vegetable stock to the pan and stir to dissolve browned bits. Continue to cook, uncovered, until onions again brown and stick. Deglaze with another Tbsp of water or stock. Repeat this procedure until the onions are richly browned. This will take 15 or 20 minutes.
Notes:
1) For a thicker chowder, remove some of the potato, mash, and return to the pan or add several Tbsp of rice flour or lightly toasted wheat flour or masa, mixed with several Tbsp of liquid, to the chowder during the last 5 or 10 minutes of cooking.
2) If you do not have dried corn, 1 Cup of frozen corn could be substituted.
3) This could also serve two as a whole meal.
Recipe by Hulbe.