Toasted Barley Soup & Swedish Meatballs

This Scandinavian-style toasted barley soup with Swedish meatballs is filled with vegetables and whole grains, and takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. Toasting the quick-cooking barley gives it a nutty flavor that becomes central to this soup.
 To complete the meal, serve this soup with a salad of spicy greens and crusty whole-grain bread. Serves 4.
 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
 3/4 cup quick-cooking barley
 2 1/4 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
 1 1/2 cups diced carrots
 1 1/2 cups diced zucchini
 1/2 pound frozen, cooked Swedish meatballs
 1 1/2 Tbsp. minced fresh dill or 1 1/2 tsp. dried dill
 2 1/4 cups water
 1/4 tsp. salt
 Ground black pepper, to taste
 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
 In a large saucepan over medium-low, heat the oil. Add the barley and stir until it is lightly toasted, about 3 minutes.
 Add the broth, carrots, zucchini, meatballs, dill and water. Bring the soup to a simmer, cover the pot and cook over medium-low until the barley is tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
 Season with salt and pepper. Serve each bowl of soup topped with a tablespoon of sour cream.
 Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 286 calories; 81 calories from fat; 9 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 18 mg cholesterol; 40 g carbohydrate; 13 g protein; 8 g fiber; 371 mg sodium.