Italian Wedding Soup

I decided to post some favorite recipes (without a picture) just because they're my favorite. This soup takes a little more effort because of the chicken, but you can replace it with an equal amount of ground beef (or you could try ground chicken too).

1/2 pound extra-lean ground beef
1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, excess fat removed
2 eggs
1/2 dry Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
1 t. dried basil
1 t. onion powder
pepper, to taste
11-1/2 c. chicken broth (maybe more if you use too much pasta)
5 c. chopped spinach
1-3/4 c. acini de pepe pasta
2/3 finely chopped carrot

In a stock pot heat about 1 Tbsp. olive oil and brown chicken thighs (they don't need to be cooked all the way you just need to get them firmer to grind). In a food processor, chop chicken into fine pieces. In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, chopped chicken, eggs, bread crumbs, cheese, basil, onion powder and pepper. Combine well. Set aside.

In the same stock pot used to brown chicken, heat broth to boiling. Drop meatballs by teaspoon size balls (1/2 teaspoon for smaller meatballs). Add spinach, acini de pepe pasta, and chopped carrot. Return to boil then reduce heat to medium. Cook at slow boil for 10 minutes or until pasta is al dente. Stir gently, as to not squash meatballs and prevent sticking.