Place the chicken in a pot large enough so that they are either in a single layer or just slightly overlapping. Cover the chicken with cold water and add the wine if using. Bring the water to a boil. You’ll probably see some white scummy foam collecting on the surface as the water comes to a boil (this is fine!) — if you’ll be using the poaching liquid for a soup or other recipe, you can skim this off; otherwise, it’s fine to leave it. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is cooked through.
Remove the chicken from the liquid and wait at least a few minutes before shredding. You can use your fingers once it’s cool enough, or two forks.
Place the chicken in a bowl, add 1/3 of the Herbed Mayonnaise and the tomatoes, if using. Toss until the chicken is well coated with the mayo dressing. Add more mayo if the mixture seems too dry. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
Notes
The diced tomatoes are optional, but they add nice color and juiciness to the salad. You could also add some very thinly sliced celery.
Change up this salad by switching the herbs in the mayo.
When poaching the chicken breasts, if you want to use low-sodium chicken broth instead of water, you will end up with a rich stock that can be used in soups and other recipes, and the chicken will have even more flavor. You can throw in a few sprigs of whatever herbs you have left over to season the broth or water a bit.