To make the broth:
Boil and simmer one whole chicken for 2 hours. Cook with carrots, celery, onion, basil leaves, salt, pepper, parsley. I let it boil well for about a half hour, then simmer for the rest of the time.
Strain the broth into a clean pot, and set the chicken and vegetables aside.
With the broth in the clean pot, add a large can of chicken broth.
Into the broth, put finely chopped carrots, celery, onions and a small bag of spinach, finely chopped. Cook for about 20 minutes.
While the chicken is simmering, prepare the meatballs:
1/2 pound lean ground beef
2 tablespoons bread crumbs (I use seasoned)
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 egg, slightly beaten
Mix together well and form into small meatballs - 1/4 to 1/2 inch in size. The smaller the better.
Put a small amount of the simmering soup in the second step into a small pot and boil the meatballs for about 20 minutes, after dropping them in one by one. Then add to the soup mixture.
Add cooked orzo - 1 box if you like noodles - to the cooked soup. Garnish the individual servings with a topping of Parmeson cheese.
