We tried Chick-fil-A's history-making replacement for cole slaw - here's the verdict

Chick-fil-A axed cole slaw from the menu this week and replaced it with a new kale-based side.

It's the first time a major fast-food chain has added kale to the national menu.

We decided to visit Chick-fil-A to test out the newest alternative to fries, called the superfood side.

The salad features hand-chopped kale and broccolini tossed in a maple vinaigrette dressing and topped with dried sour cherries and roasted nuts, including walnuts, almonds, and pecans.

The side was prominently advertised throughout the Chick-fil-A we visited in Richmond, Virginia.

We ordered the large 8-ounce version of the salad and an 8-count of chicken nuggets.

The total came to $7.24 before tax. After ordering, we took a seat in the dining room and an employee delivered the meal.

The food arrived after three minutes of waiting. The salad came in a small plastic container and the roasted nuts are packaged separately in plastic bags.

My first thought upon seeing it was: This is it?

I was expecting the superfood side to be much larger.

But once I popped off the top, I realized the salad is packed pretty tightly in the container, so the size of the packaging a little deceiving.

I sprinkled the nuts on top of the salad and took a bite.

It was delicious and packed with flavor.

The dressing was sweet and light, and the greens tasted crisp and fresh. The salty nuts perfectly offset the sweetness of the dressing and sour cherries.

I wanted to mix the nuggets into the salad but the small size of the container made that difficult without spilling food everywhere, so I ate them separately.

As I got to the bottom of the salad, I found a lot of broccolini stems.

While the portions seemed small, the salad and nuggets filled me up quickly. I had a hard time finishing the meal.

The 8-ounce salad is 170 calories and together with the nuggets the entire meal is 440 calories and 21 grams of fat.

By comparison, the 8-count nugget meal with medium-sized french fries on the side totals 670 calories and 34 grams of fat.

Next time, I would probably order the grilled nuggets with the salad to make the meal healthier.

The new side, which has been 18 months in the making, launched on January 18.

It was created in collaboration with Ford Fry, an Atlanta restaurateur and a James Beard Award-nominated chef.

The side can be ordered as a substitution for fries in a combo meal for an extra charge of $0.94. It's also available on its own in a 5-ounce serving for $2.59 or an 8-ounce serving for $3.79.