Ninja Foodi Chicken Noodle Soup (With Never-Soggy Noodles)

Sarcastic Narwhal
Nov 29
6 min read

On cold, gray days, this is my version of a hug in a bowl.

It starts with a big whole chicken, a pile of carrots, celery, and onions, and my Ninja Foodi doing the heavy lifting. The secret to keeping it from turning into mushy noodle stew? I cook the noodles separately, rinse them in cool water, and keep them out of the pot until serving time. Each bowl gets its own bed of al dente egg noodles, then I ladle the hot chicken soup over the top.

Same cozy flavor, way better texture, and the leftovers are amazing.

Step 1: Chop, Drop, and Let the Foodi Work

I start by chopping a classic mirepoix:

Celery for that fresh, savory flavor
Carrots for sweetness and color
Onion for the base of the broth

(Photo: your cutting board with the neatly chopped celery, onion, and carrots.)

Some of those chunky veggies go straight into the Ninja Foodi with the whole chicken, water, herbs, salt, and pepper. I set the Foodi to Pressure Cook and let it work its magic until the chicken is fall-apart tender and the broth smells like pure comfort.

Step 2: Rich Homemade Chicken Broth

When the timer goes off, I carefully release the pressure and open the lid to a pot of golden broth, tender chicken, and soft vegetables.

The chicken comes out onto a platter so it can cool just enough to handle. Then I pull it apart into big, juicy pieces, separating the meat from the bones and skin.

One side of the platter gets the beautiful slices of chicken breast; the other side is all the darker meat and little bits that are perfect for shredding into the soup.

Back in the pot, I’m left with a gorgeous homemade broth, flecked with herbs and full of flavor.

Step 3: Build the Soup

With the broth ready, it’s time to turn it into full-on chicken noodle soup.

Strain out any bones or big veggie pieces I’m done with.
Add fresh diced carrots, celery, and onion to the broth so there are tender vegetables in every spoonful.
Let them simmer until just soft.
Stir in the shredded chicken so it warms through.

At this point, the soup is basically done. It’s just missing one important thing: the noodles.

Step 4: The No-Soggy-Noodle Trick

Instead of boiling the noodles in the soup (and watching them swell up and hog all the broth), I cook them separately.

For this batch, I use extra wide egg noodles. I boil them in salted water until they’re just al dente – tender but still with a little bite.

Once they’re cooked, I drain them and rinse them briefly in cool water. That quick rinse stops the cooking and washes away some extra starch so they don’t get gummy. If they’re going to sit for a bit, I’ll toss them with just a tiny drizzle of oil to keep them from sticking.

Step 5: Assemble Each Bowl

Here’s where it all comes together and why this method is my favorite:

Noodles go in first. I put a scoop of cooled, al dente noodles into each bowl.
Soup goes on top. Then I ladle the hot chicken and veggie broth over the noodles, giving everything a gentle stir.

The heat from the soup warms the noodles perfectly without overcooking them. Everyone can choose how many noodles they want, and the big pot of soup in the kitchen stays noodle-free and perfect for leftovers.

Why This Method Works So Well

No mushy noodles. They’re never sitting in hot broth for hours, so they keep their texture.
Better leftovers. The broth and chicken reheat beautifully, and you can add fresh or leftover noodles to each bowl as you go.
Easy to customize. Extra noodles? Fewer noodles? Gluten-free pasta for one person? All simple when you assemble by the bowl.

This is the way I’ll be making chicken noodle soup from now on: one big batch of rich Ninja Foodi chicken soup, and bowls built to order with perfectly cooked noodles every single time.

On cold, gray days, this is my version of a hug in a bowl.

Same cozy flavor, way better texture, and the leftovers are amazing.

Can You Use a Frozen Chicken?

Yes – you absolutely can.

You can do this with a frozen chicken too, as long as you pressure cook it for the right amount of time. That’s one of the reasons I love using the Ninja Foodi for this recipe. If I forgot to thaw the bird (which happens a lot), I can still get homemade chicken noodle soup on the table.

For a frozen or partially frozen whole chicken, I just:

Add the chicken, water, and veggies to the pot
Set the Ninja Foodi to High Pressure
Cook it longer than I would a thawed chicken, making sure the thickest part of the meat reaches 165°F before I call it done

It takes more minutes on the timer, but the end result is the same: fall-apart tender chicken and a rich, cozy broth that tastes like I planned ahead all week.

Noodle Talk: Why I Always Cook Them Separately

If you have ever made a big pot of chicken noodle soup and found a pot of thick, starchy stew the next day, the noodles are usually to blame. They keep soaking up broth and getting bigger and softer as they sit.

Cooking the noodles in a separate pot of salted water solves that. I pull them when they are just al dente, rinse them in cool water so they stop cooking, and keep them out of the soup. The broth stays brothy, the noodles stay tender, and leftovers still taste like soup instead of casserole.

No Ninja Foodi? Stovetop Directions

If you do not have a Ninja Foodi, you can still use this method.

Put the whole chicken, veggies, seasonings, and water in a large stock pot.
Bring it to a gentle boil, then turn the heat down and simmer.
Keep it at a low simmer for about 1½ to 2 hours, until the chicken is very tender and pulls away from the bone.

From there, the steps are the same: pull the chicken, strain the broth, add fresh veggies, and cook the noodles separately.

Make It Your Own: Seasoning Ideas

I usually keep the flavors classic with:

Salt and black pepper
Garlic and onion
Dried thyme, parsley, or Italian seasoning
Bay leaves

If you want to switch it up, you can try:

A squeeze of lemon juice at the end for brightness
A pinch of red pepper flakes for a gentle kick
Fresh herbs like dill or rosemary stirred in right before serving

Start small, taste as you go, and stop when it tastes like home to you.

Leftovers and Freezer Tips

Chicken noodle soup leftovers are a gift on busy days.

Store the soup (without noodles) in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Keep cooked noodles in a separate container so they do not soak up the broth.
For the freezer, skip the noodles completely. Freeze just the broth, chicken, and veggies in containers or freezer bags.

When you are ready to eat, thaw and reheat the soup, then boil a fresh batch of noodles and build your bowls the same way you did the first night.

Veggie Drawer Clean-Out Version

This recipe is very forgiving. If you have odds and ends in the veggie drawer, this soup is a good way to use them up.

Along with the carrots, celery, and onion, you can add things like:

Leeks
Parsnips
A handful of green beans
Frozen peas (stirred in at the very end)

Just add the firmer vegetables earlier so they have time to soften, and toss in delicate or frozen veggies in the last few minutes of cooking.

Sick Day Shortcut

On a sick day, you might not want to mess with a whole chicken. You can still keep the spirit of this recipe with shortcuts.

Use a good quality boxed chicken broth.
Add chopped carrots, celery, and onion and simmer until soft.
Stir in shredded rotisserie chicken.
Cook noodles separately like usual and build your bowls.

It is not quite the same as the full from-scratch version, but it is still warm, soothing, and easy to pull together when everyone is tired.