Lon, that sounds similar to Italian Wedding Soup, except we use Pastine instead of barley and spinach or escarole instead of kale. We make and freeze our own chicken stock, but the good store brands (like College Inn) would work well.
3/4" diameter meatballs made from 3/4 ground beef and 1/4 ground pork, onions, garlic, green pepper to taste, all finely diced and 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese. Mix all together, form small meatballs and brown in a frying pan reserving all drippings. Figure about 8 meatballs per big bowl of soup.
Warm Chicken broth to just below boiling, add partially (half the box cooking time) cooked and drained pastine (or barley), shredded carrots, and greens (spinach, escarole or kale). Add meatballs and all juices from frying pan, salt and pepper to taste and cook over low heat for about 1 hour. Quantities depend on taste, but for 8 servings, we use 1/2 pound of pastine, 2 large carrots, 1/2 pound of baby spinach leaves or one head of escarole cleaned and roughly chopped (same for kale). Just before serving, we beat two eggs and stir into the hot soup and serve when eggs are done. All except the eggs can be made ahead and warmed when you get to your destination, then warm to just below boiling and stir in the eggs.
