Slow Cooker Postpartum Healing Pot Roast
In my new cookbook, The Nourished Mother, I talk a lot about the foundations of postpartum nourishment for the early healing stage when the body is healing physically, tissues are undergoing a repair and recreation process, your digestive system is in need of gentleness, and your body benefits from abundant healing nutrition.
In these early days and weeks of postpartum, meals that are warming, hydrating, soft-cooked, and rich in postpartum healing nutrients are exactly what your body needs. A meal that checks all of those boxes is a slow cooked postpartum healing pot roast like the Slow Cooker Balsamic Beef with Mushrooms + Root Veggies from The Nourished Mother cookbook that I am so excited to share with you here!
Why is a slow cooker pot roast so good for postpartum and beyond?
During early postpartum and throughout your motherhood journey, a warm and soft-cooked meal is incredibly beneficial for your digestive system and nourishment. Warm meals are easier to digest (especially helpful if your digestive system is feeling sluggish, as it is in early postpartum!), can improve blood flow and benefit circulation, and can help your body absorb the nutrients in your meal.
Slow cooker cooking meets both the reality of postpartum life and the needs of a healing body. When you’re short on time and energy, simple, more hands-off meals are so helpful. At the same time, nourishing foods like vegetables — which can be harder to digest in their raw or lightly cooked forms — become very soft over hours of gentle cooking, making them much easier on a sensitive digestive system.
Very well-cooked vegetables and a hydrating bone-broth base can also help reduce the risk of painful postpartum constipation, while the amino acids from the broth and beef provide the protein your body needs to repair and rebuild tissues.
This postpartum pot roast is also rich in many of the nutrients most needed for healing after birth, including protein, iron, fats, zinc, vitamin A, and vitamin B12.Together, these nutrients support wound healing, help rebuild skin and muscle tissue, promote collagen production and cell growth, and support the formation of new red blood cells — all key for restoring strength and energy.
This recipe is a true win-win when it comes to nourishing yourself well, whether you’re in the early postpartum weeks or years into motherhood and prioritizing foods that help your body feel its best.
Postpartum Healing Nourishment in the Slow Cooker Postpartum Pot Roast
Here’s a look at the key ingredients used in the Slow Cooker Balsamic Beef with Mushrooms + Root Veggies and why they’re so supportive of a nourished postpartum:
Beef: Roast cuts are high in connective tissues and collagen, making them one of the most impactful postpartum foods. Beef provides bioavailable iron for rebuilding blood, a complete protein for tissue recovery and wound healing, Vitamin B12, zinc, Vitamin A, lots of energy, and importantly - lots of fat, which is essential for healing, hormone recalibration, the nervous system and mental health.
Beef Bone Broth: Provides key amino acids including glycine, proline, and glutamine, which are critical for collagen synthesis and tissue healing post-birth. Bone broth is also a hydrating fluid providing sodium, potassium, and trace minerals necessary for rehydration after birth, healing, breastfeeding, and blood volume recovery.
Potatoes: Well-cooked potatoes are ideal for postpartum healing - they’re easy to digest, provide energizing carbohydrates, and are one of the richest sources of real food potassium, an electrolyte mineral essential for fluid balance and healing.
Carrots: Well-cooked carrots are soft, sweet, easy to digest, and provide great energy and beta carotene.
Mushrooms: Well-cooked mushrooms provide soft, soluble fibre, and contain antioxidants, selenium, copper, potassium, and B vitamins, which support tissue healing, energy production, and immune function.
Garlic and Onion: Well-cooked in this recipe, which softens their fibres and reduces their fermentable compounds, making them easier to digest. Garlic and onion are also anti-inflammatory, helping to support the inflammatory phase of healing.
Miso Paste Provides digestion-friendly probiotics and lends a deep, savoury flavour.
How to Make a Healing Slow Cooker Postpartum Pot Roast (Step-by-Step)
Sear the beef
In a hot pan, add avocado oil and sear the beef for a few minutes on each sides to create a golden crust. This creates so much flavour in the final meal that makes the pot roast more delicious, helps it shred nicely, and improves the broth base. Once the beef is seared, it can move directly to the slow cooker.Make the balsamic broth mixture
While your beef is searing on the stove, whisk together the balsamic broth mixture in a small bowl: the garlic, rosemary, oregano, salt, pepper, balsamic, honey, tomato paste and beef broth.Add vegetables to slow cooker
Add the potatoes, carrots, mushrooms and red onion to the slow cooker on top of the beef.Add the balsamic broth mixture to the slow cooker
Pour the balsamic broth mixture over your beef and veggies in the slow cooker.Let the slow cooker do its thing!
Let your pot roast cook for 4-5 hours (on high) or 7-8 hours (on low).Check for beef doneness
When your beef is done, it should be fall apart tender and easily shred with two forks. If it feels tough, that means it needs more cooking time.Shred the beef
Once your beef is tender, transfer it to a cutting board and shred it, then move the beef back to the slow cooker.Add the miso mixture
In a small bowl, whisk together the miso and warm water, then stir into the slow cooker.Eat and enjoy!
Slow Cooker Postpartum Pot Roast FAQ
1. What cut of beef should I buy to make the slow cooker pot roast?
The best beef cuts for a slow cooker postpartum pot roast are called Blade Roasts in Canada (you may also see ‘bottom blade roast’ or ‘round roast’) and Chuck Roasts in the US. For this recipe, I recommend a roast that is 2.5 - 3lbs. If you’re unsure or don’t see a cut the type and size you need, I always have luck asking the butcher directly.
2. What can I substitute the Miso paste for?
Miso paste lends an amazing savoury flavour and probiotic gut benefits. If you don’t have Miso paste, use 1 tbsp dijon mustard, plus 1/2 tsp more salt, and add it to the whisked mix in Step 3.
3. What Beef Broth should I use?
If you’ve got homemade beef broth on hand, use that! Otherwise, use the store bought broth that you have access to, making sure it truly has meaningful protein and fat (check the nutrition panel!). If you’re looking for a high quality bone broth recommendation and are in Southern Ontario, I highly recommend Ripe (you can save 15% with my discount code FOODDOULA15).
4. Is pot roast freezer friendly?
Yes, you can definitely make the pot roast in advance and freeze it for postpartum, or freeze any leftovers you may have. I recommend freezing it, with the liquid, in individual portions. The veggies may get a little extra soft upon defrosting, but that’s actually perfect for postpartum recovery!
Slow Cooker Balsamic Beef with Mushrooms + Root Veggies from The Nourished Mother Cookbook
15 minutes Prepping
7-8 hours (low) or 4-5 hours (high) Cooking
Makes 6 servings
Beef
2 ½ - 3 lb beef Blade / Chuck Roast
1 ½ tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp dried)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 ½ cups beef broth
1 tbsp avocado oil (for searing)
Veggies
3 medium Yukon Gold or red potatoes, cubed
3 large carrots, cut into chunks
8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 small red onion, sliced
Stir-In
1 tbsp miso paste (see FAQ above for substitution)
1/4 cup warm water
How to Make It
Heat a pan over medium-high heat with 1 tbsp avocado oil
Sear the beef roast for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown. Transfer to the slow cooker.
While beef is searing, whisk together garlic, rosemary, oregano, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, honey, tomato paste and beef broth in a medium bowl.
Add potatoes, carrots, mushrooms and red onion to the slow cooker, then pour the balsamic broth mixture over the beef and veggies.
Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours, until beef is fall apart tender (if it’s tough, it needs more time!).
Remove the beef to a cutting board, and shred it with two forks, discarding any large chunks of fat. Stir shredded beef back into the slow cooker.
Whisk miso paste and warm water together in a small bowl, then mix into the slow cooker.
Serve the pot roast on its own, with crusty bread, or over mashed potatoes.
Storage: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze in individual portions for longer storage.
More Nourishing Recipes For Postpartum + Family Life
Get more nourishing recipes for postpartum and beyond inside my brand new cookbook The Nourished Mother. Get your copy today and stock your kitchen with support for every season of motherhood!